Child With Braids (Uncensored)
by xOx ShinjiHirako XoX
Summary: To fall in love is to be swept away by the currents of Aphrodite only to be torn apart by the riptides. Will contain graphic scenes not included in Rated T version.
1. Chapter 1

**Well _hello there_! It's been a very long time - and by long time I mean about four years. No, I'm not dead although it definitely feels like it at times!**

 **I apologize so much for everyone who has been following the sequel to this story! I realized halfway through wrting The Child of Silence that there was so much left unanswered in this story. I've been spending the past year reviewing and rewriting the story.**

 **LITERALLY REWROTE THE ENTIRE SODDING STORY**

 **I will be keeping The Child of Silence up! I just won't be updating it until I have finished publishing this story again! Updates will be every Friday xx**

 **As always, happy reading my lovely birdies~**

Prologue

It was only in my darkest moments did I seen how bright he shone. After a life of running away...I realized that I had found a place to rest. In his arms. His strength had been what I strived for, but his kindness was my reason for fighting. He was my safe harbor from the storm. I had become so determined to protect him that I had forgotten to protect myself. He, who had understood me so well…

I didn't think love could be found twice.

* * *

 _To fall in love_

 _is to be swept away by the currents_

 _of Aphrodite_

 _only to be torn apart by_

 _the riptides._

 _Kumiko...come here," He said softly, his voice weak with sickness, "Hold my hand."_

 _I grabbed his hand quickly, crying out, "Haku! Don't go!"_

 _He laughed, coughing weakly. His eyes shut for a second while he caught his breath, before he looked at me, "Do you know what happens to souls who die here in the Soul Society, Kumiko?" I shook my head and he smiled, "They go to the World of the Living, born in another life. So you see, Kumiko? I'm not actually leaving you, just going to live somewhere else."_

 _So I can come and visit you!" I grinned at him, happy that he wasn't leaving._

 _He paused, frowning momentarily before he smiled, "Yes, well you can!"_

I had smiled then, holding Haku's hand in his final moments. He didn't tell me that when I found him in the World of the Living he wouldn't have any memory of me, that he wouldn't be able to see me when I did find him. But he had decided that my happiness meant more than his, and he didn't want to see me upset while he died.

I opened my eyes, kneeling before his grave, "Haku...my love...may the part of you here rest in peace, and may the part of you with the living thrive."

"Kumiko," Takahashi whispered in my ear. I looked up at him and the old man said hushly, "The guards are starting their dawn patrol. We must go." I nodded and he ran into the shadows again, letting me say my goodbyes in private.

"I have to leave you again," I bowed my head, letting my forehead touch the dirt of where he had been buried. Standing up, I straightened the used uniform I would be wearing to the Academy. Unsheathing my dagger, I ran the blade over my palm and let the blood pool in palm, "I am going to become a shinigami, Haku, so I don't know when I'll be able to bring you flowers. But this should last a while," Closing my eyes, I concentrated on summoning spiritual energy, and opened my eyes to smile at my creation. A glowing green flower, the color of my reiatsu, sat in my hand. I placed it against Haku's grave and ran off to join Takahashi.

"Are you ready?" He asked later when we had snuck out the Kuchiki estate and put a good distance between us and them. I nodded and he sighed, "There you go again with your arrogance, Kumiko. You are never fully ready for anything. Remember that."

"So what if I'm confident in my abilities?" I exclaimed, "You should take it as a compliment, Master."

"Confidence will get you nowhere if you have nothing to show for it, girl," He grouched, "I have given you a foundation, something most from the Rukon won't have. But don't mistaken the difference between you and the aristocrats, Kumiko. They have received a foundation just like you, and have had the pleasure of time to practice and hone their abilities."

I nodded, "I see...sorry."

"Don't apologize for anything either," He snipped, "You must not show them weakness, Kumiko. You may not be living in Kusajishi anymore but you are among a new set of savages. Those in the Academy will do whatever it takes to earn a spot among the Seireitei. Choose your allies wisely."

I nodded, understanding what he meant. In our own respective ways, we had both dealt with the noble clans and had known how much they hated being in second place. As for those of the Rukongai that had come to study at the Shino Academy, they were frightened of not ever being in first place. Where they came from, anything but first place meant death or starvation. These students would soon come to learn that I would not accept defeat either.

We stopped at the gates of the Shino Academy, surrounded by other first-year students dressed like me, all saying their farewells. I turned to my master, my companion for the past decade, and the man who had saved my life.

"Don't look at me like that," He grouched, scratching his beard, "I'll be paying much attention to your progress. Don't put my teaching to waste."

I nodded, bowing, "I'll do my best, Master."

"Make sure you do," He said before patting my shoulder and walking away back to the Rukongai.

I turned around and faced my new home, my new challenge. It was time to start the next chapter and take control of my new life as a soul reaper.


	2. Worst Nightmare

**Double update just because I can't just leave you with a Prologue xx**

 **I'm also using the new Fanfiction app along with Grammarly to see if it makes editing more convenient, so please let me know if there's any spelling mistakes. Grammarly obviously does not recognize works like Rukongai and Kisuke!**

 **Next update will be this FRIDAY 09/19**

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Chapter 1

The energy that buzzed through the halls was addicting but disturbing. I passed a mumbling group of First-Years and clung to my zanpakuto, a nervous twitch I had yet to break. What was everyone's problem today? This gossiping and whispering was starting to get on my nerves.

The strange behavior hadn't improved once I reached my class out on the training fields. Silence followed my appearance and each of my classmates took a glance at me before they turned back to their respective conversations.

"Just ignore them," I glanced up at my classmate. He grinned at me, "You just freak them out because they're Six-Years and you're a Second-Year."

"I know, Kaien," I frowned at him, "We established this on the first day of the school year."

He continued to grin at me, "That's right, Kumiko! Us prodigies have to stick together!"

"Stay away from me, Shiba," I waved him off. His pep talk at the beginning of class was annoying and the constant buzzing and hushed chatter throughout my classes had not eased my ruffled patience.

"Aren't you a sunflower today," Kaien muttered and ignored the glare I shot him.

"Yeah, well I'm getting to the end of my rope with this fucking gossip," I crossed my arms, "Have you any idea what these idiots are all getting worked up about?"

He chuckled loudly, "Wow, Kumiko, for a prodigy you're really stupid."

"Shut it, you asswipe!" I growled, "How many times do I have to tell you that I am _not_ a prodigy? I'm just taking the advanced-track Kido classes."

"And you're graduating three years early for it," He winked, "Still not as good as my two year stint in the Academy, but it can't be helped I guess."

"You little twerp," I smirked at him, "Graduating in two years or not, I can still beat your pathetic Shiba ass."

He burst out laughing and I shook my head. Kaien always pushed my buttons during class, but I had a sneaking respect for him. He was kind and duty-bound, not letting anyone prevent him from becoming a Shinigami. In many ways I identified with Kaien's desire to become a Soul Reaper, and admired his clan's acceptance of his desire to become a Shinigami. From what Kaien had told me about his family, the Shiba Clan were free-willed and unlike the rest of the noble clans.

"I heard that we're going to get a special presentation from the Stealth Force." I turned my attention to Kaien, who was fixing his uniform, "That's why everyone is so excited today. Captain Shihoin and her most talented squad members are going to be teaching us."

"What can the Stealth Force teach us?" I scoffed, not believing a word of what Kaien said, "The Stealth Force and Squad Two are an assassination squad, so they would fight hand-to-hand combat, not Kido."

"Well hell if I know, Kumiko. What do I look like to you, a psychic?" He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not saying that!" I clenched my fists and yelled at him, "I'm just asking what use does the Stealth Force have to do with Kido -"

"Attention class."

Kaien and I turned our attention away from murdering one another to our Sensei. He stood there patiently for us all to line up in formation. We ran to our spots and stood in lines. After he took attendance, Sensei cleared his throat.

"Alright, as many of you have heard, our class today will be led by Squad Two." Kaien threw me a cocky smirk and I spat at him, earning a glare from Sensei. In a moment, four figures appeared behind him. My gaze locked onto them, taken aback by how quick they were. Was that what Shunpo looked like when used by the pros? "Class, behave and listen carefully to Captain Shihoin and her squad members. They are experienced officers and you will learn invaluable information from them."

I stared at them all, my eyes lingering on the captain. Captain Shihoin...she was even more gorgeous in person. Her Shihakusho was cut out and her haori hung loosely to her frame. I could only guess that it was for mobility. Her skin rippled with every movement, her toned muscles powerful and ready. I was in awe of her. She was stunning, both in power and beauty. A noblewoman who possessed the strength of not only her own abilities, but that of the Stealth Force.

"Jeez, Kumiko, do you need a napkin or something?" Kaien teased, "You're just drooling all over yourself."

I fixed him a dirty glare, "I'm going to cut your tongue out next-"

"Yeah, yeah," He cut me off, "Keep your lesbian fantasies to yourself, Kumiko. I'm trying to pay attention."

"That's it," I turned to him, "Open your mouth, bastard. That slimy tongue of yours gone."

"Oh really?" He smirked, turning to me, "And how do you plan on getting it, Kumiko?"

"I don't fucking care, but the world doesn't need you polluting it with your vulgar talk -"

"Excuse me! You two!" We both froze and realized that the whole class was staring at us. Sensei was pinching the bridge of his nose and Captain Shihoin pointed at us, "Yeah, you idiots. Since you got better things to do then listen to my explanation, why don't you come up here and help me demonstrate?"

"What?" Kaien said dumbly.

"Did...she just call me an idiot?" I hissed.

Kaien looked at me, "Shut it before you get us in more trouble."

"Look, I'm not asking," She said a little more firmly, "Come up here, _now_."

I bit my tongue to keep myself from losing my temper over her. All of this because Kaien couldn't help himself from throwing a jive at me. Sighing, I grabbed his sleeve and dragged him to the front of the class. I felt everyone's eyes of me and Kaien, and it made my skin crawl with anxious irritation. As we approached Captain Shihoin, I scanned over her three companions. A small black-haired girl stood a few feet away from her captain, crouching slightly. She seemed the most on-edge out of the three. The second and third members stood together, one seeming bored out of his mind and the other looking back at me. I tensed as our eyes met.

Grey. The first thing I noticed about his eyes was the intense blue-grey color. He met my stare calmly, scanning me in a way that could only be calculating. He was sizing me up. I know that look all too well from the Rukongai. It was the same face I got from thugs trying to rob me, the same look two opponents give one another in a moment of figuring out "Can I take you on?".

"What are your names?" Captain Shihoin demanded, but I refused to look away from this man. It may have been petty to be so aggressive, but it had been so long since someone had looked at me like this. Like I was a challenge.

I startled when I was shoved from my spot, losing my footing and almost falling down. I broke my gaze from the man and bared my teeth at Kaien. Had he really just elbowed me? I hadn't realized we were still five years old.

He pointed his eyes to Captain Shihoin and then back to myself, mouthing "Name". Turning to Captain Shihoin, I bowed deeply, "Captain Shihoin, my name is Kumiko Riku, Second-Year Student."

"Riku…" She repeated and I nodded, "You wouldn't happen to be...no never mind." Her golden gaze met mine and I knew that she had figured it out. She knew who my master was. Takahashi Riku, the traitor Shinigami who had abandoned his duties to live out the rest of his years in the Rukongai. The man whose execution orders she carried out personally shortly after I had entered the academy.

"I am Kaien Shiba, Second-Year student," Kaien bowed, "It is an honor to learn from you, Captain Shihoin. Please forgive me and my friend for making a ruckus during your presentation."

We stood up when Captain Shihoin chuckled, "So I have a Shiba and I have a District Seventy-Niner. Both prodigies -"

I shook my head, "I'm not a -"

"Who would win in a battle?" She asked, raising her voice to the class. When no one answered she grinned, "My bet would be on the Shiba. But, unfortunately we won't ever know because these two are going up against my squad members!"

Kaien glanced at me, frowning. I smirked at him, "You beating me ass. That's a funny one." He laughed and we both turned to the Squad Two members, taking our stances.

"Wrong!"

"Huh?" We both froze, looking back at Captain Shihoin.

"You're doing it all wrong! See, this is why you pay attention instead of having lesbian fantasies about me."

"She heard that?" Kaien exclaimed, nervously glancing at me, "Ku...Kumiko?"

"...Run."

The class dispersed, a few students lingering around to chat with the Shinigami. I brushed the grass and dirt from my hakama, irritated when I discovered that the leg had torn at the knee. My shirt was marked up with dirt and grass stains too. It would take time out of my evening and study time to mend my uniform. I grudgingly wished that I could afford to buy a new uniform, but I couldn't and would have to work with these for now.

"You have a giant smudge on your ass," Kaien chuckled, looking worse than me. His uniform shirt had been torn up and the hems of his sleeves had a burn mark from deflecting the Kido from the Shinigami. Captain Shihoin and her officers had taught us a certain Kido techniques that the Stealth Force used to restrain prisoners and how to cut off spiritual flow with Kido spells. We barely used any of the techniques ourselves but we were taught the basics as well as how to block against them. That part of the lesson had covered the majority of the class period before Captain Shihoin had swapped over to practicing how to execute the spells in hand-to-hand combat, and naturally Kaien and I were her first dummies for demonstration.

"Have to admit," I grunted, rubbing my aching head, "We got our asses handed to us."

He nodded and grinned at me, "Yeah. Where are you off to now?"

I patted my zanpakuto, "Gonna go practice. You?"

"I'm going to hang around to talk to Captain Shihoin," He looked over his shoulder to the captain. She was talking to Sensei, the blonde Shinigami standing beside her.

"Suck up," I chaffed but winced after my headache worsened. Waving my hand, I started walking away from Kaien and to the Zanjutsu side of the training grounds. It was always empty at this time of the day, which made it the perfect time to train. The only nighttime classes at the Shino Academy were theoretical and the advanced class outings to the World of the Living.

Reaching the training grounds, I unsheathed my zanpakuto and began warming up. My arms were still sore from blocking off the attacks from the Shinigami. I had faced off with the small girl named Soi-Fon, and had learnt that her demeanor and size did not coincide with her fighting abilities. She was swift and ruthless, beating me to the punch every time.

I swung down on the dummy I aimed for, grunting as my arms jolted with the impact. Jumping back, I changed my grip and sprinted towards the straw doll to slice it. I began to execute the side-slash but stopped as my wrist cramped up. Huffing, I stabbed my zanpakuto into the ground and massaged my wrist. Only half an hour into sword training and my body was already giving in.

Shortly into my first year at the academy, I had learnt that Zanjutsu was not one of my strengths. I practiced relentlessly and while I had improved greatly, I barely placed in the top twenty in my class. My sword fighting skills were poor, ironically contrasted to my dagger skills. I was a good fighter. I had the swiftness and knew how to down someone quickly. I was strong for a woman and my endurance was consistent with my spiritual pressure, but the cumbersome length of a sword slowed me down greatly. I couldn't swing my zanpakuto fast enough, and my wrists cramped up from the weight of the sword when I held it in certain grips.

Frustrated, I grabbed my zanpakuto and charged toward the dummy, deciding to slice it up instead of practicing. Today had been a nightmare and I needed to take my temper out on something.

When the dummy was a pile of straw and string, I sheathed my zanpakuto and stormed off to the dormitories. I needed to clean my uniform and study. If I was going to graduate at the end of my third year I would have to be at the top of my class. Currently I was ranked five in my class but class rankings above twenty were competitive and changed easily.

I shared my room with three other girls; Rika, Ai, and Ren. Because we all had different schedules, we hardly interacted other than in the early mornings and late evenings. Ai and Ren were Sixth-Years and had classes in the late afternoon, Rika had an assistance position in one of the evening classes, which meant that I usually had the room to myself in the evenings. It was small like the rest of the dorm rooms, doubly cramped with four occupants but we made it work.

Stripping from my uniform, I slipped into a green komon and set the red and white clothes in our clothes tub. For all the wealth and technology the Shino Academy had, there were no clothes washers for the dormitories. The students from the richer families had their clothes sent back to their estates to be washed by the ventilators brought back from the World of the Living, while the rest of us plebs had to hand-wash our uniforms like we were back in the nineteenth century.

I found the washboard in the chest by our door and set in the bucket, grabbing the laundry basket filled with my roommates and my clothes. The laundry reservoir was next to the Kido fields and I made it there just as the sun was beginning to disappear behind the trees. Scrubbing the clothes went by tediously slow, especially when it came to erasing the grass stains in my uniform. The material was wearing down quickly and it wouldn't be long before I would have to stop by the secondhand uniform store to buy more.

Students laughed in the distant. I looked up and saw a few of my classmates walking beside the blond Shinigami from Kido class. Kaien's laugh was easy to distinguish from the rest and to my dismay I saw that they were coming my way. They were probably all going to the Kido fields. Ducking my head, I rubbed the clothes against the washboard hastily. If I was lucky they wouldn't recognize me. If I was even luckier, I would finish washing these clothes before they passed by.

As per usual, the annoying fly that was Kaien Shiba spotted me and wasted no time rushing toward me, "Kumiko! I thought you were training in the Zanjutsu fields!"

I frowned, "Yeah, well some of us don't have time to chit-chat with the special guests."

"You ended early, didn't you?" I began to protest but he just smirked, "You can't expect to get better if you just lose your temper and cut your practices short, Kumiko."

"Shut up, suck-ass," I muttered, wringing out Rika's hakama. I threw it in the basket and heaved it up into my arms.

"Suck-ass! You little-"

"Yeah, yeah -I'm busy, Kaien," I huffed, waving at him as I sauntered to the dry lines, "Have fun with your _buddy_ Mr. Stealth Force."

"You're welcome to join us when you decide to put your attitude away!" He called after me.

Setting the basket down next to the nearest free line, I glanced at Kaien and his friends. They were all grins and laughter again, not a care in the world. I sighed and reached down for a piece of clothing to hang. Hanging it up, I reached for the pegs and realized that they weren't next to me anymore. I looked around and dug in the basket of damp clothing but I couldn't find them. I brought them with me, I know I did…

I looked up at Kaien to see if he had taken the peg bag, but his hands were empty. What the hell did I do with them?

"Did you drop these?" I whipped around and saw the Shinigami holding the bag. He smiled at me, "I found these next to the reservoir and thought they could be yours."

"They are," I said quietly, taking them from him and mumbling a thanks to him. He hadn't been this close to me during class, and now that he was I could see that he was actually quite handsome. He was a couple inches taller than me and broad-shouldered, and had messy blond hair that fell across the bridge of his nose. I cleared my throat when I realized that I was staring at him again and turned around, hanging the clothes up.

"Do you need help?" He walked up to me.

"You don't think I can hang my own laundry?" I stood on my tiptoes and clipped the clothes up.

"No- uh...yes?" I glanced at him and he chuckled awkwardly, "Just thought you could use the height."

"I'm five foot ten," I turned to look at him. He was cute but annoying. Why was he trying to help me with my laundry so badly?

He nodded, "Okay then." He began to walk away before he stopped again, ignoring my exasperated sigh, "Is that really all of your laundry?"

"No," I replied, glancing around the clothes and at him, "It's my three roommates' as well."

"That's nice of you -"

"Yeah, well since your squad members were so kind as to ruin my uniform, I figured that I might as well wash all the clothes," I frowned at him, "Thank you for that."

"You're very welcome," He said back cheerfully but snarkily done.

I sighed, "Don't mind me. I'm the sarcastic, bitchy type."

"Don't worry, I figured that one out already," I glared at him and he gave me another grin, "But that's not a bad quality to have, especially if you're entering the Thirteen Court Guard Squads earlier than the rest of your class. I'm curious as to the reason why you're graduating early."

"Kido," I said simply. He tilted his head curiously, "I'm good at concentrating high contents of spiritual pressure, so they placed me in the advanced-Kido courses. Not sure why they think it's a good idea to have me graduate early though, considering that that's really the only thing I'm good at."

He shrugged, "Kido doesn't come naturally to a lot of Shinigami." I hung up the last piece of clothing, "Come on, let's go."

"What?"

"You've got to wait for those clothes to dry so why not practice your Kido with us?" He smirked, "Heard you got final exams of the year in a couple of weeks. And if you're as bad at everything else like you say are then you should probably ace those Kido finals."

I frowned, glancing out to Kaien and my classmates. They were just target practicing and weren't talking a lot to one another. Glancing back at the Shinigami, I figured that he had a good point about practicing Kido. I couldn't afford to get anything but a perfect score on my Kido. Nodding, I set my peg bag in the basket and followed him to the training fields.

"Look who decided to join the party," Kaien called over to me as I placed myself at the target next to me, "Looks like I'm not the only suck-ass here."

"Shut it, Spikey Head," I grouched. The only reason why I was here was to practice. As soon as my laundry had dried, I was returning to the dorm to study. Raising my left hand, I held out my two fingers and charged them with energy. When they were lined up with my target, I quietly said, "Sokatsui."

A blue flash shot from my palm and up to my fingertips, charging towards the target and burning it up in an inferno of blue spiritual flames. I waited for the flames to die down, smirking when I saw that the target had been destroyed.

"Impressive," I turned to see that the Shinigami assessing my work, "Using an incantation makes it stronger unless you're well-versed with Kido. Still, it's a feat for a student to hit a target without an incantation." My smirk began to widen at his praise but dropped when he met my gaze, "But is that really all you can do?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked indignantly.

He shrugged, walking away, "I just thought that you would be able to do something better than a spell under fifty. Perhaps Captain Shihoin was right, the Shiba boy would destroy you in -"

He cut off as I shot a Hado spell at him, raising his arm and deflecting it with his own Kido. Glancing at me, I glared daggers at him as Kaien and our classmates ran to us. This man had some real nerve, goading me on.

"Kumiko, what do you think you're doing!" Kaien yelled, rushing over to me, "Did you just fire a Kido at a Shinigami?"

I jabbed my finger and Kaien ducked, and I pointed at the Shinigami, "Don't brush me aside just yet, asshole. I was just warming up." Spinning on my heel, I held my hands up and closed my eyes. A ball of heat built up inside of my chest as I breathed in and exhaled, the heat traveling through my arms and up to my hands. My palms tingled as I summoned spiritual pressure to my hands, and began incanting, " _Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hado number sixty-three, Raikoho_!"

A large ball of light had enveloped between my palms and were released, a large lightning strike stretching across the field and hitting the three nearest targets. I gritted my teeth and fought to control the reiatsu that channeled through my body, and slowly cut it off by breathing in deeply. My hands felt icy cold and I ran a hand through my hair, a wide smirk building on my face.

I looked over at the Shinigami and was surprised to see him clapping his hands, "Well we've established two things. One, you're very easily coerced and don't like being challenged. And two; you're going to be one scary girl once your reiatsu has fully developed. You still have a long way to go before you're ready."

I rolled my eyes and stormed off to the clothesline. Ripping off the clothes and shoving them in the wash basket, glaring across the training fields at the idiot.

Who did this guy think he was? He was nearly as arrogant as his captain, swinging around that know-it-all attitude like he knew everything about everyone. I was impressed that he was able to detect that my spiritual pressure had not yet developed -I was among the younger students at the academy, which meant that my spiritual pressure was still maturing. I couldn't put my finger on it but this man unsettled me. It may have been his gaze, which was beautiful but terrifyingly vigilant. It may have been the reiatsu that I could sense emanating off of him like heat waves, or it could have been that he didn't seemed fazed at all by my attitude towards him.

He just casually chatted with Kaien. Stupid little twerp was probably from a privileged noble family. That would explain his arrogance. Whatever it was, he bugged me immensely.

Cupping my hands around my mouth, "Hey, asshole! What's your name?"

He smiled, "I am Kisuke Urahara!"

I nodded, calling to him, "You better watch yourself when I become a Shinigami, Kisuke Urahara because I'm going to become your nightmare."

"Looking forward to it, Kumiko!"


	3. Seven Years Later

**As promised, here is the Friday update! I'm excited to see what you guys think, and to also finish this book so I can start posting to Child of Silence again!**

 **Happy Reading~**

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Chapter 2

My head pounded as the sun beat down and the birds sang a little too loudly. After one drink too many, I had suffered the consequences dearly when I woke up this morning. And now, hours later in the afternoon, I could still hear my heart thudding loudly in my ears, in sync with my pounding headache.

I walked briskly down the hallways of the halls of Squad Eleven, rounding up the squad members for afternoon training. My captain was adamant that we all trained together at the end of every day, to "build morale and learn different fighting styles". It was all very well for him to say that except for the fact that everyone in Squad Eleven fought exactly the same. There was only a handful of Shinigami who had varying fighting styles, and that was all of the officers. As for the morale side of it all; I could confidently say that Squad Eleven was and never would be a teamwork type of squad. We were all either scum or criminals, and our only commonality was the desire to fight and win.

My train of thought was broken when I rounded the corner and spotted the seventh-seat leaning against the corridor wall, snoring loudly. Another problem with Squad Eleven was their laziness. How these men and women maintained their strength and muscular builds whilst packing their fourteen-hour workdays -which mainly consisted of them napping -along with several hours of sleep was beyond me.

I approached the sleeping man and kicked him in the side, "So you think you can just slack off while I'm running my ass off like it's on fire?"

"Huh, what -oh Kumiko-san!" He shuffled to his feet and moved away from me just in time to avoid another kick, "I was -"

"I don't care!" I growled, rubbing my temples, "Your voice is only aggravating my hangover. Check this half of the squad grounds and make sure everyone goes to the training fields." I glared at him, "And if there're any problems, let the men know that I'm walking around and not in a good mood."

"Y-yes, Ma'am!" He turned around and jogged down the hall.

Now that I had handed my job off to him, I headed back to the training grounds. I usually took a large part in the daily training, enjoying the extra practice. But today, I was going to sit it out. Hell, I was probably going to sneak off halfway through training and find a nice, quiet place to sleep off this headache.

"You seem to be at your leisure despite your task at hand, Fourth-seat."

I sighed and looked up at my lieutenant, who was standing at the entrance of the main offices with his arms crossed. Maki Ichinose was like the mother I wished I never had. Waving at him while I approached the main offices, I opened my mouth to speak but closed it again. He had that look in his eyes, the Kumiko-is-going-to-get-another-lecture look.

"Kumiko, how many times do I have to tell you to stop coming to work drunk? You're setting a poor example for the squad to follow and considering your rank, you should be showing a little more decorum."

I stopped in front of him and bowed before slipping past him to grab a bottle of water, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Maki."

"Lieutenant Ichinose."

"Funny, you let me call you Maki when we're drinking together," I raised an eyebrow at him.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I found it comical how much patience my lieutenant exercised around me. I walked over to the fridge and opened the door, scanning the shelves for water, "That's because we're off duty, Kumiko. But at work, I'm Lieutenant Ichinose. _Which is not the point_. The point is that you're drunk -"

"Incorrect," I grabbed three bottles and tossed him one, "I'm hungover right now. But as water does tend to reactivate alcohol, I may be drunk in the next twenty minutes."

"You're hopeless," He sighed.

I took a long sip from the bottle before rolling my eyes, "Give me a break, _Lieutenant_. It's not like I show up to work hungover every day."

"You shouldn't be showing up to work hungover at all," He grouched, walking beside me as we moved toward the training fields.

I shrugged, "Just building trust with the men, Lieutenant. You know what it's like, being a girl in Squad Eleven -"

"I don't think you can be considered a -"

"Lieutenant or not, I will murder you." He chuckled and I shook my head. We entered the training grounds and I grinned at him, "Okay, I'll try to limit the alcohol intake during the week. But only because you asked so nicely."

"Screw you," he scoffed as we approached the captain.

"Captain," I tossed my second water at him and he caught it with ease. Bowing quickly, I went to stand by his side with Maki, "Sir, I sent the seventh seat to round up any of the stragglers from the east side of the squad grounds. But this should be the most of the squad."

"Very good, Kumiko," He nodded, glancing at me and laughing, "You can sit this one out. Hangovers only worsen when you're getting knocked around."

"Thank you, sir," I bowed my head and shot a smug grin at Maki.

He frowned deeply, "Captain, don't we have paperwork that can be done?" I froze and turned my wide eyes on Maki. It was his turn to toss a smug look my way, and it took a great deal of restraint from my side to remain quiet.

"Yes, good idea, Maki!" Captain Kiganjo clapped his hands. He glanced at me and smiled kindly down at me, "Kumiko, I want you to go and finish the squad paperwork."

"But Captain -" I began to beg for mercy but Maki shook his head. Sighing, I stood up again and bowed my head to both of them, "Yes, Captain."

I shot one last glare at Maki before turning on heel and marching towards the main office again. The bloody lieutenant could never let me off the hook -not once! And I was a saint compared to most of the squad too! It was as if Maki got a kick out of my suffering.

 _And paperwork._ I groaned loudly as I thought of the pile that I had seen on Captain Kiganjo's desk earlier that day. He never filled out any paperwork, and Maki only had so much time on his hands to catch up on both his reports and the captain's. The third seat was always out on assignments to the World of the Living, which meant that completing the most tedious tasks of the high-ranking officers fell on me. I felt more like an administrative secretary than a Soul Reaper.

Opening the door to the office, I welcomed the escape from the heat. At least I wouldn't have the sun pounding on me in the office, although the room was a little stuffy. I crossed the room and opened the window by the Captain's desk, hoping it would cool the room down more. Grabbing the towering stacks of files and papers from Kiganjo and Maki's desks, I placed them on mine and sat down.

"Fucking hell…" I stared at what would be the death of me. After repeating an "I can do this" mantra to myself a couple times, I poured a bit of my water into my inkstone and grounded the ink stick to create a black mixture. Picking up my brush, I subjected myself to my fate and began to fill out the reports.

This was the last time I was ever skipping on daily practice.

Time ticked by and I only looked up again when I noticed that the room was beginning to darken. I must have been filling out reports for half the day.

Setting the brush down, I opened my desk drawer and scrounged around for my box of matches. Finding one, I began to go around the office to light up the lanterns. The barracks and most of the squad buildings were light up at night by Kido, but in the offices we used candles. This was supposed because we weren't supposed to be working in the offices past dusk, which was something I liked to greatly dispute with Maki. I supposed it was true for everyone but me and him, who worked a good portion of the week's nights until the wee hours of the morning.

"How's the paperwork going?" Maki popped his head through the doorway as I finished lighting the final lanterns by my desk.

"Wow, speak of the devil," I mumbled, "I was just thinking of you."

"Gross."

"I know," I chuckled, sitting down in my chair again. There were still two stacks of paper that remained, "I've finished everything but the medical reports and the external squad complaints."

He smirked, "So I'm assuming the larger pile are the complaints from the other squads."

I nodded, "Yup, most are from that dipshit Hirako. I'm sure he sends these petty little complaints just for kicks."

Maki laughed, "What, is he still complaining about our lanterns shining too brightly?"

"Nah, it's now that we're showering too long and using up all of the hot water in the Seireitei," I chuckled, "Coincidentally, Squad Eleven doesn't even share pipelines with Squad Five."

He came over and took half from each pile, shaking his head, "Idiot."

I leaned back in my chair, "Yup. So how was training?"

Maki sat down and prepped his own ink, "It was good. The squad is just finishing chow. You should go and get some before it's all gone."

"Thanks for telling me sooner," I sighed, ignoring the warning glare he shot at me. Getting up from the chair and walking toward the door, I glanced over at him, "Want me to bring something back?"

He shook his head and began to write, "Already ate."

"Of course you have," I grumbled and headed outside. The buildings were dimly lit by the Kido lanterns, and I couldn't make out the training grounds in the darkness. Mosquitos buzzed around with moths, all floating around the lights and occasionally flying into the flames and burning up.

I headed towards the chow hall, which was on the opposite side of the squad grounds. The chow hall was situated between the two barracks buildings. It was convenient in the mornings for breakfast, but not nearly as convenient in the afternoons or evenings. Most of the officers either packed lunch or were like me and skipped out on it entirely. It was never a huge deal. Because Shinigami had higher contents of spiritual pressure and needed to eat more, every squad had food stands situated throughout our grounds where we could grab a quick snack and refuel.

The chow hall could be heard before it was seen, and tonight was no different. I jogged towards the large building and entered the dining hall, engulfed by the bright lights. The smell of food and sweaty bodies assaulted my nose, and I immediately honed in on the food line. Grabbing a tray, I joined the line and gathered my food quickly.

My name was being called just as I grabbed a pair of chopsticks and I looked up to see Rika waving at me, "Kumiko, come sit over here!"

Rika, my roommate from the academy, had graduated and transferred to Squad Eleven only recently. In the short time she had been here, she had become quite popular despite being the girliest and weakest little runt to ever walk among the savages of the Kenpachi Squad. She had most of the men drooling over her and eating out of her palm, including the lieutenant.

"Don't ignore me! Come on!" She giggled, her red curls bouncing up and down.

I rolled my eyes and headed toward her table. There was an open seat and that was all that mattered to me. I was going to eat and then get the hell out of the dodge, not having the patience to chat with Rika and the other office girls. Plunking down next to her, I mumbled thanks and tucked into my food.

Training must have gone well because everyone was in high spirits this evening. They were also all in desperate need of a shower. I wrinkled my nose, thinking that the chow hall was smelling worse than the dive that I had lived in back in the Rukongai with Takahashi. I frowned, shoving a dumpling into my mouth as I thought about my late mentor. The day was approaching quickly...the day he saved me from my old life.

 _The cloth that covered my eyes was soaked as I sobbed, choking on the dirty rag that was shoved halfway down my throat. Where was I? I tried to slip my wrists from the ropes that bound my ankles and hands together but cried out as they rubbed against my already raw skin._

 _"_ _Shut her up before someone hears us!" A man whispered fiercely, making me scream._

 _Another man's voice came from behind me, "Everyone knows that she's gone already."_

 _"_ _You idiot! They don't know where she is right now so shut her up-"_

 _The man was cut off and groaned loudly. I heard his companion stand up from behind me and shout before he crashed into me and made me hit my head against the corner of something hard. In my daze, I heard screaming and the sickening thuds of skin against skin._

 _I heard the second man cry and then a strange gurgling sound from him. I began to scream as I felt something warm and gooey touch my skin. Even blindfolded and untouched by violence before that point in my life, I had known that it was blood._

 _I was going to die._

 _"_ _Shut up, girl. I'm here to save you."_

My thoughts were broken when I felt too many eyes on me, and I looked up to see Rika and her tablemates all staring at me with wide eyes. I jumped halfway out of my skin and spilled my rice all over my lap.

"What the hell?" I snapped at them, standing up and wiping off the grains of white rice that stuck to my clothing, "Why are you all stari-"

"How can you eat that much?" One of the girls asked in awe, looking down at me plates, "I mean...that's a lot of food."

I furrowed my brows at her and another of Rika's friends nodded his head vigorously, "And the way you wolfed it all down!"

"Did you see how she ate all that without chewing with her mouth open?"

"Sure did! That's impressive!"

"Kumiko, how do you eat that much and not be so fat?"

"That's so rude! You can't ask things like that, Akane!"

"Oh sorry…hey, where are you going!"

I picked up my tray and placed it with the rest of the dirty dishes, wishing luck to whoever had the task of cleaning the mess hall tonight. What the hell were those peoples' problems anyways? That had gotten really weird. I glanced over and saw them all watching me with wide eyes, some smiling and waving at me.

I looked away and left the chow hall, feeling uncomfortable with them watching me. I didn't like being the center of attention; hated the feeling of everyone's prying eyes on me. It had been another thing that Takahashi saved me from. If I had not been kidnapped from my childhood home, I would have been living a life of indulgence and been the attention of most.

"Kumiko!" I glanced over my shoulder and saw Rika sprinting towards me, "Wait for me!"

I clenched my jaw, "I really don't have the patience to deal with you, Rika. What do you want?"

She reached me and walked alongside me, laughing, "I just wanted to apologize for everyone at the table. They didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just that it's not often we get the fighters to sit with us."

"Yeah, well you're all the office staff," I said grouchily, flinching after it came out of my mouth. That had been a little too harsh, even coming from me. Glancing at Rika, I cursed when I saw her looking at me with wide eyes, barely unshed tears lining her waterline, "I didn't mean tha-"

"Why do you have to be such a bitch?" She shouted and I frowned, "Just because you're a better fighter? Because you have more spiritual pressure?"

I sighed uncomfortably and reached up to fix my collar, "Look, Rika, that's not it. I'm in a bad-"

"A bad mood?" She snipped, "Yeah well you always seem to be in a bad mood. Look, I just wanted to apologize on behalf of my friends but now that I think about it, I think you should be the one apologizing to them."

"Oh really?" I smirked, leaning down to her height and getting in her face, "Because I hurt your itty bitty feelings? Poor babies."

"Because you're a bitch for no reason!" She raised her voice, "We're all on your side, Kumiko, but you always act like you've got better things to do than to bother with us. Why did you become a Shinigami anyways?"

"Listen here, brat," I grabbed her collar and pulled her closer, "I don't need some newbie lecturing me on what I should and shouldn't be doing. If you want an apology then you're going to be waiting a long time for one, especially after that bitch-fit. Now scram before I actually start to lose my temper."

I shoved her hard and she stumbled back. I stormed off, not bothering to check if she had fallen or not. What was her problem? All I did was walk away from her friends. Would she rather me beat the life out of them for bugging me? I should have -it would have probably saved me a lot more problems in the future. I was so tired of people telling me that I was the aggressive one when all I ever did was be honest. Unlike their petty, backstabbing ways, I chose to be direct and truthful -and even though it didn't earn me any brownie points, at least I knew that I was being myself.

Reaching the office, I slammed the door shut and slumped in my seat. If that Rika had to do my job -which meant doing the Captain's job -then she would be just as ratty and impatient as I was. Stupid, ignorant little -

"Who pissed on your parade?" Maki asked, smirking at me from his paperwork.

I ran a hand through my hair and growled my irritation into my hands, "Your stupid admirer."

"Which one?" He joked.

"Rika Watanabe," I replied dryly, "She's so sensitive."

Maki shook his head, "Yeah, she was definitely placed in the wrong squad -"

"Exactly!" I exclaimed.

"-But," I groaned loudly. There was always a 'but'. "You also need to watch what you say."

"Fuck you, Maki," I grumbled, picking up my brush. I just wanted to be done with today already.

"I'm serious, Kumiko. You're an officer, and you need to think about what you say before you say it. Words have serious consequences," When I didn't reply, he continued, "Like just now when you mouthed off your senior officer."

"Okay, I get it," I slammed my palms against the table, "I have a temper -"

"You have an attitude problem," He corrected me, "And until you adjust that attitude of yours, you're going to have confrontations like this. This isn't Kusajishi anymore, Kumiko. The strongest doesn't always win. The team does."

I didn't respond and Maki didn't press the matter anymore. He had said what he needed to say and seemed satisfied with his job well done. I, however, was not satisfied. I was angry. Not with Rika, not with her idiotic coworkers, not even with Maki. I was angry and frustrated with myself because I knew what they all said about me was right. I was a bitch...and I hated myself so much for it.

But it was a hard habit to break. For so long, I had battled to live my life _my way_ , and when I had finally gotten that freedom that I craved for, I had to fight for my livelihood every single day. Fighting was something I had grown accustomed to, and I had become a bitter person because of it. I didn't like being so impatient and driving everyone away with my sarcastic and vicious tongue...but was all that I was and all I had to my name.

I signed off the last of my paperwork and blew out my candles, placing all of the papers in the delivery tray to be taken to their respective destinations. Waving at Maki, I headed back to my room. Everything was quiet now, everyone was asleep. How were they all so happy all of the time? Why was I so different from everyone else? I asked myself so many of these questions, but none had any answers. Perhaps the biggest question I asked myself was the one I needed to answer in order to find the truth about the others...

Who was Kumiko Riku if she wasn't what I am now?

* * *

 **Have a lovely weekend!**

 **Next update is scheduled for 09/28**


	4. Chalkdust and Assassins

Chapter 3

I stared out of the window from my bed, sighing as the sunlight slowly poured in. Sunrises were always so beautiful in the Soul Society but it was nothing compared to the World of the Living. It had something to do with the reishi levels. Whatever it was, the sunrises and sunsets in the Human World took my breath away. There were so many colors, so much warmth from their sun.

Truthfully the Soul Society was an ugly place hidden under a facade of heaven. If I could be reborn, it would be in the World of the Living. At least there the suffering was no secret...there were no lies.

Closing my eyes, I frowned. It was another day in the Seireitei. Another day of work. I would have to get out of bed soon even though I didn't want to. Today, I had woken up with a deep and unsettling feeling of exhaustion. I didn't have the energy to get of bed, to fight Maki and the others. I just didn't have it in me to live today.

Why was everything always a fight? I sat up and slumped forward, staring at my bed covers. I didn't understand what the point of it all was—what it meant to live. To me, it all felt like we were all just existing; fighting off one another and our inner demons. There was no such thing as a happy existence, and it angered me that people refused to accept that.

There were very few bright moments in this dull life and none were enough to fight off the darkness. For so long I had drawn strength from the people in my life but I couldn't anymore. The Gotei Thirteen had destroyed any optimism and hope I held for the future. I thought that when I had fulfilled my dream of becoming a Shinigami that I would be happy, that all of the struggles and sacrifices my loved ones and I had made would be for something.

But it wasn't. This was the same hell, just decorated differently.

"Fuck it," I growled, shutting my eyes. Why the hell did it even matter? It wasn't like I could go to die and be done with this shithole. That would really piss off Takahashi and Haku too. Their sacrifices would not be for nothing. They lived within me and if I died then their memories would die too. What had Kaien called it? _"...a heart."_

Kaien. I wondered how that idiot was doing. He had joined the Thirteenth Division shortly after he graduated from our class, impressing everyone with the ability to perform Shikai and manifest his zanpakuto upon entry. The man was talented and extremely focused -though I would never admit it aloud. Kaien had been offered the third-seat in Squad Thirteen, but had refused it in a typical I-won't-use-my-Shiba-name-as-a-free-ride-fashion.

"What a dumbass," I mumbled to myself and climbed out of bed. It was time to stop dawdling and get this day over with.

After dressing and fixing my hair, I made my way from the barracks to the main offices. We had a meeting held in the third-seat's office every morning. It was boring and tedious, recapping how well the squad was doing and what our objectives were for that day. I never saw the point of the meetings since they were always the same. Maki would yell at all of the officers for failing to meet our objective, show us our squad's projections, and then would storm off after ordering us to get back to work. Kiganjo was there too but it was more for formalities. He generally sat there and picked his nose while Maki ripped us all a new asshole.

"Good morning, Riku-sama," One of the office girls bowed her head to me.

I glanced at her and nodded stiffly at her. She wouldn't openly glare at me but I knew that as soon as I walked past her, she was probably throwing a profane hand gesture at my back. Word about my exchange with Rika had gone around and the office workers had not let it go even though it had been weeks after the incident. It had been a nightmare trying to get paperwork from them. They had made it their mission to make every little thing as slow and impossible as they could for me.

I didn't understand. Yes, what I had said was out of line but I thought that they had all taken it too personally. How could so many sensitive babies all have ended up in Squad Eleven?

"You're late," Maki growled at me as I entered the third-seat's office.

I looked up at the clock on the wall, "Get your eyes fixed, Maki. I'm five minutes early."

He sighed, "Lieutenant Ichinose."

"Uh-huh," I slumped against the wall. No one had arrived yet, which didn't surprise me. We always started these meetings late because no one in Squad Eleven had any sense of self-management or getting up at a decent hour, "Seeing as we're going to be here for a while, why don't you just fill me in on the details so I can get on with this day."

"Eager to work, I see," He smirked. Turning around, he grabbed several filing boxes from the work desk behind him, "I actually have a special task for you today."

"Whoop-dee-fucking-doo," I raised my hands up to show him the enthusiasm I extremely lacked, "You shouldn't have."

"You asked," He said snippily before clearing his throat, "Look, I need you to deliver all these boxes to Squad Two."

"All of those?" I asked incredulously. There had to be at least fifteen boxes.

Maki nodded, "And a bit more. You may need to make a couple of trips or grab a hand."

"What's in the boxes?" I asked, curious why we were giving Squad Two anything. In general, Squad Eleven interacted very little with the Second Division. There was no point. We were both the fighting squads but Squad Eleven was considered the first and strongest offense, while Squad Second were the special operations.

Maki shrugged, "Just files we've collected over the years. One of the officers there needs them for something."

"So you don't really know? For all you know, you could be handing them all our personal information!"

"Jeez, calm down there Kumiko," Maki said exasperatedly, "It's records on all the battles and offenses that the squad has been apart of. Casualties, statistics, that kinda thing. Don't get your panties all knotted -what have you got to hide, anyway?"

More than I would like any coward assassin to find out. I frowned but held my arms out.

He passed some of the boxes over and I sighed, "Fine. I'll do it. But only to get the hell out of the squad grounds for a little."

"You really shouldn't tell me that," He chuckled, "But I don't blame you. We're both long overdue on some leave."

"You think?" I raised an eyebrow at him. Adjusting my grip on the boxes, I headed for the door, "Okay, I'll come back for the rest."

He nodded, "Okay, thanks. When you've gotten these, there are a few more in our office down on the first floor."

I groaned loudly and waddled out of the office, nearly running into two other officers, "Get outta of my way, shitheads!"

* * *

Having to walk more than half of the Seireitei made the walk to Squad Two agonizingly long. I had flash-stepped some of the way before I tired myself out and decided to walk the rest of the way.

The only reason why I still had the motivation to deliver these boxes was because I didn't want to return to my squad just yet. Since the third-seat was gone and the captain did nothing but fight most of the day, I was landed with most of the squad internal tasks. Maki handled a lot of the diplomatic matters with the other squads which sounded tedious but at least he wasn't cooped up in the squad grounds every single day.

I loved my squad but I was bored of walking the same paths, seeing the same faces, facing the same problems. Most of all, I was tired of feeling out of place. Aside from the obvious reasons like my bluntness, I was the only Shinigami in Squad Eleven that didn't fight with their zanpakuto. It made me special but it also made me a target for the Shinigami who thought that Kido wasn't a valid way of fighting. And being the only avid Kido user in the squad had become lonely very quickly.

"Hold it right there!"

I looked up and saw that I had finally reached the Squad Two gates. Two guards stood at the top of the two towers, hands on their zanpakuto as I approached the gates.

"I am Squad Eleven, fourth-seat, Kumiko Riku!" I announced myself, looking past the stack of boxes I held, "I am-"

"Do not speak unless you are spoken to!" One of them yelled at me.

"What-"

"Quiet!"

I clenched my jaw but remained quiet. The guard on the left cleared his throat, "Who are you are?"

Sighing, I repeated myself, "I am Kumiko Riku, fourth-seat of Squad Eleven."

"What did you say? Speak up!"

" _Squad Eleven! Fourth Seat_!" I yelled loudly at them, any trace of my patience disappearing in a flash. If I had to go through this every time I brought a load of boxes today, I was going to kill someone.

"What is your business here, Kumiko Riku?" They asked. Kumiko Riku. The bastards had heard me the first time! My fingers twitched as spiritual pressure rippled through my arms and to my hands. I needed to calm down before I jumped up there and beat them both to a bloody pulp.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to keep my voice even, "I'm delivering these files to one of your officers."

"Hmm, which one?"

"I don't know!" I cried out, exasperated, "My lieutenant told me to bring these boxes over to Squad Two! C'mon -"

"You don't know?" The guards gasped, "I bet you're not even from Squad Eleven! Who's your lieutenant?"

"Lieutenant Maki Ichinose-"

"Wrong!" They both unsheathed their zanpakuto, "We must ask you to leave at once!"

I snarled at them, "You damn pests! Just come down here and wave those pathetic swords in my face! I'm going to beat the fuc-"

"What's the problem here?"

The guards and I stopped our bickering and turned to the voice. Both of the guards yelped and bowed, "Third-Seat Kisuke Urahara-sama!"

I gawked at him, "Y-You!"

Seeing him again after all these years made my head spin. The Shinigami from the academy, who had insulted my abilities, Kisuke Urahara. I swallowed, feeling the astonishment down my throat as I took him in. His hair was longer, brushing against his shoulders but he was exactly the same. It was like being warped back to the Kido fields all over again.

He looked away from the guards and to me, his stormy grey eyes widening as recognition passed over his face, "Kumiko?"

He remembered me? My skin flushed and I cleared my throat, not willing to admit that I was flattered that he had bothered to remember my name, "Urahara."

He laughed and closed the distance between us, greeting me like an old friend, "Hey there! It's been what? Seven years? Eight? That's a long time!"

"Not long enough," I muttered, wishing my cheeks would stop heating up as he got closer. My arms were cramping up from holding the boxes and I hoisted them up towards my chest again.

"What are those?" He asked, pointing at the boxes, "And do you need help?"

"I'm fine," I was about to throw him a withering glare for not believing I could manage but realized that he was a Second Division Officer, "Actually, you can get me through these gates. I have to deliver these."

"Oh, sure thing!" He nodded and looked up at the guards, "Okay, open the gates! And you can stop giving Riku-san trouble."

"Yes sir!" They saluted him and rushed off. The gates opened seconds later and Kisuke and I proceeded into the Squad Two grounds.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

He smiled at me again, "Yeah, well I understand how frustrating they can be sometimes. They don't let anyone but Captains and lieutenants through."

"Well they're annoying," I grumbled. My forearms were burning and the boxes seemed to get heavier with every passing minute, "Can you take me to your captain?"

"Yoruichi? Yeah sure, no problem!" He nodded vigorously, and my ears tingled as his voice hit a deep note as he added, "But only if you let me take some of those boxes from you."

"Uh, yeah," I looked away from him as his voice resonated along my skin. What the hell was that? "Take the top three."

He grabbed the top four and left me with two boxes, much to my chagrin. We walked in silence, Kisuke walking slightly ahead of me to lead the way. He kept glancing at me and I did my best to control my blushing. His eyes were so incredibly intense and I couldn't help but think that he could read me like an open book.

"I don't like being watched," I snapped, scowling at him.

He looked taken aback by my temper but quickly recovered. "Sorry, can't help but wonder that you must have a lot of people stare at you," His awkward chuckle did not water down his comment. Was he flirting with me?

"No, I don't. Believe me," I growled, irritated that my cheeks burnt bright red, "People don't stare because they know that I'll skewer their eyes out if they do."

"My, you're still as violent as ever I see," He grinned, "Still not very threatening, especially if you haven't improved on those crumby sword fighting skills."

"You bastard, what's that supposed to mean!" I exclaimed but received no immediate reply.

"Here we are!" He cheerfully announced when we reached a large building. The shoji doors were open, revealing a wide, expansive room. In the center sat Captain Shihoin, guards from the Stealth Force lined on either side of her. Kisuke smiled at me, "I'll set these by the door."

I nodded and set my boxes next to the door too, entering the door. No one but me and Captain Shihoin moved, although all eyes were on me. I did my best not to fidget, glancing at each of the ninjas and sizing them up. These Squad Two bastards and their prying eyes were sending me off the edge. And being in the same room as the woman who had ordered Takahashi's death made my blood boil.

Bowing briefly, I looked at the purple-haired captain, "Captain Shihoin."

She tilted her head curiously and said questionably, "Kumiko Riku, right?" I nodded and she peered around me, grinning when she spotted the boxes, "Ah, yes. Your lieutenant told me that he was sending someone with the files today."

I nodded, "Yes, Ma-"

" _Kisuke_!" I jumped as Captain Shihoin yelled loudly, "Kisuke you idiot, come back here and get your files!"

 _Eh?_

I looked over my shoulder and saw Kisuke reverse, sticking his head around the door, "Eh?" He glanced at the boxes and then at me, back to the boxes and then looked at Captain Shihoin, "These...are mine? The files from Squad Eleven?"

She sighed, resting her head against her palm, "Yes, Kisuke. Didn't you know that she's one of Kiganjo's officers now? Kumiko was kind enough to bring them all the way from Squad Eleven. " She glanced at me, "Though I have to admit that I was expecting more."

"There's fifteen more back in my office," I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. That stupid Kisuke Urahara hadn't added up that those were his boxes! What an imbecile!

"Kisuke will help you bring them here," Captain Shihoin nodded, "Thank you, Kumiko."

I bowed and exited the room, looking at Kisuke, "Where do you want these?"

"Oh...uhm, I'll take you to my office," He shifted uncomfortably.

I nodded and we each took a box. I followed him down a number of hallways, nearly running into his back when he stopped abruptly in front of two, large shoji doors. He balanced his boxes in one hand and fished a ring of keys out of his Shihakusho.

The silence grew more agonizing with each passing minute, only arbitrary sounds filling the lack of noise. He pushed the door open with his foot and waited for me to enter first. I hesitated before I warily entered the room, scanning it quickly but stopped and tried to absorb the busy space. There were chalkboards mounted on two of the walls, and another chalkboard on wheels beside his work desk. A futon was on the side and had been precariously made up, the pillows looking brand new and unused. Scrunched up balls of paper littered the floors since the trashcan was overflowing with more than its fair share of the garbage.

"You can set the boxes on my bed," He said.

I nodded and set them down, turning around and looking around again. The chalkboards were the only things that were vaguely neat, equations and drawings written down hastily but in an organized way.

"What...is this?" I whispered, walking toward the board by his desk and running a finger along the chalkdust. It was some kind of equation, a diagram of a body beside it. Above it was a label and I read it aloud, "Gigai?"

"This is my work," I looked over at him and he was rubbing the back of his neck. He looked embarrassed, "I like science. The Gigai is one of the current projects I'm working on -an artificial body that Shinigami can use when they want to interact with humans in the World of the Living."

"Why would we want to do that?" I asked, thinking about how absurd he was to even think that. We were dead and could only do our jobs if the humans didn't see us.

He chuckled good heartedly, explaining it to me like I didn't see what he did, "Because some humans have spiritual pressure, which makes them vulnerable to Hollows we need . Aside from that, if we can disguise ourselves as normal humans then we can purchase supplies in the World of the Living instead of bringing it with us. It means that we can stay out in the World of the Living for longer periods of time."

I nodded, "I guess." Looking at his wall, I noticed the time. Eleven in the morning. "We should get moving. There's still another two trips we gotta make to get all of these files."

He nodded, "Lead the way then."

* * *

It was nearly five in the afternoon after we had left Squad Eleven with the final load of boxes. The summer sun was harsh and along with the carrying and traveling, I was sweaty and starving. I was happy for the change of routine today, but I couldn't wait to get back to my room and take a shower. I wondered what was for dinner tonight in the chow hall…

I glanced over at Kisuke as he began to speak to me, "So I see you don't have guards posted at your entrance gate."

I shrugged, "We figured that some bastard's gotta be pretty stupid if he wants to come to Squad Eleven to pick a fight. That, or he's desperate to die which my men are more than happy to oblige with." He was quiet and I smirked at him, "Sorry, did I take it a little too far for your weak constitution?"

He shook his head and looked at me, his gentle gaze reverting back to that calculating, piercing stare again, "I'm still surprised that you're in Squad Eleven."

I bristled from the comment and shot back, "Yeah well you don't seem like Squad Two material, either."

He barked out in laughter, catching me off guard, "Yeah, that's not a lie!" He smiled at me and I was taken aback by the color of his eyes as the later afternoon sun caught his face, "I didn't mean it as a bad thing, though. I was just surprised that Squad Eleven had taken a Shinigami whose primary fighting style was Kido, and not with her zanpakuto. Captain Kiganjo must have a wider mind that the rest of the captains give him credit for."

"Yeah, he's a good man," I tossed him a rare smile but immediately regretted it when his cheeks turned a dusty pink. Looking away, I said stiffly, "I've gotten better with my zanpakuto, though. I have a Shikai...but it's not something I can use in battle."

"I understand that," He smiled and when I looked at him questionably, he added, "My Bankai isn't something I can use in every battle like most Shinigami."

His words shocked me so much that I stumbled over my feet. I barely caught myself from dropping the boxes and face planting, sputtering at Kisuke, "You have a Bankai?"

He seemed like he was containing his laughter from my near-spill, "Uh, yeah. Why do you seem so surprised? I've been a Shinigami for over seventy years, I think it would be more of a surprise if I didn't have one."

Seventy years? He didn't look a day over twenty-two! He didn't have any bags, no grey hairs, and his body was rippling with muscles like the rest of Squad Two. I knew that souls didn't age nearly as quickly as the living did, but Kisuke had aged exceptionally well for a soul who must have been at least a hundred years old.

Kisuke cleared his throat and I realized that I had been staring at him. I looked down at the boxes in my arms, my face bright red.

"You're an old man," I tried to sound mean but failed miserably. I was mortified that I had openly ogled a man, especially some goofball like Kisuke Urahara.

"You must be really young if you're calling me an old man," He smirked at me. Why did I sense a kind of confidence coming from him now?

I shrugged, "I'm not the youngest Shinigami to walk among the Seireitei." He raised a brow at me and I sighed, "I just celebrated my thirty-second."

When there was no reply, I glanced over and saw Kisuke's mouth was hanging wide open, "You were twenty-four when we had met at the Academy?" I nodded and his eyes shone brightly, grinning crookedly at me, "Well then, you must have scared the shit out of your instructors."

"What makes you say that?"

"You had a high amount of spiritual pressure back when we were on the Kido fields," He said, "I knew from the moment you looked at me in your class that you weren't a small fry. But it was on the Kido fields when you channelled your spiritual pressure to cast that Raikoho that I realized how much you had. Granted it was very diluted, and only time will densen your spiritual pressure. But," He frowned at me, "When your spiritual pressure has fully developed, you'll need to learn how to control it. It's a lot of power to handle and some people let it get to their heads."

"I know." The Squad Two buildings loomed ahead of us.

"I don't think you do," He argued and didn't flinch when I glowered at him, "You're a member of Squad Eleven."

"So?"

"So, you're surrounded by violence and power lust."

I scoffed, "Look, buddy, I don't need you to-"

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do," He interrupted me, "I'm just warning you that with great power comes great responsibility."

"That is so cliche of you," I muttered as we approached his room.

"It's cliche because it's true," He countered, unlocking the door and letting me enter first again.

I set the boxes down and headed for the door, "'Kay, bye Dad."

"Kumiko." I stopped and turned around. He smiled, waving at me, "Thank you for helping me today. I'm glad we ran into each other again."

I was about to respond but shut my mouth, giving him an awkward wave and leaving. What an idiot, didn't he realize that he had been helping me all day?


	5. Sickly Sweet Bodies

Chapter 4

"Be quiet and behave!" I slapped the back of head of one of my squad members, "If I have to tell any one of you again then I'm going to beat the shit out of every single one of you!"

"Yes, Kumiko-sama!" The terrified squad members nodded their heads vigorously.

 _Goddamn baboons_. I thought as I walked past them and down the waiting room. Today was check-up day for Squads Nine and above. Several Squad Four members had been sent to the respective squad barracks, but the particular troublesome Shinigami -mainly from Squad Eleven -had to be sent to the Squad Four grounds with a supervising officer. Of course, said supervising officer was yours truly. I must have been born underneath the unluckiest star with the way I was always landing these tedious tasks.

I was a warrior, not a babysitter.

If these brutes knew how to behave then I wouldn't be here. I had been assigned a mission in the World of the Living, to relieve our third seat of his duties there and give him a "well-deserved" rest. Now that this little matter of check-up day had arose and I had been volunteered to play Mommy, my mission had been handed off to the fifth-seat.

My gaze honed in on a pair of my men cornering a nurse and I had had enough. These shits were the reason why I was missing the opportunity to cut up Hollows and get the hell of this place for a while!

Grabbing both of them by the collar, I yanked them back and smashed their heads together, "Did I not just say be _quiet and behave_?"

"Y-Yes you did, Kumiko-sama!" They screamed, flinching away as I glared at them.

"You two are just a pair of bitches," I grinned, my hold on their collars tightening, "I got no time for untrained mutts." Tossing them to their feet, I winded the man on my left with my fist, pivoting on my foot and slamming my fist into his companion's face. They both reeled back, and I leapt into the air to kick them down on their asses, landing on my hands and righting myself onto my feet. Turning around to my squad members again, "Anyone else wanna join these two dipshits?" I looked around and received no response, "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you all?"

" _No Kumiko-sama_!"

"Good! So all of you _sit down and be quiet_!" They all nodded and sat down, glowering quietly at me.

"My, my, what a temper you have, Kumiko." I turned around and saw Captain Shihoin approaching us, her squad following her in ordered lines. She grinned and it made me uncomfortable how casual she was with me, "You should be careful, though. Tempers like that can get you in big trouble."

"Yeah, well I guess it's a good thing that I love trouble then," I sighed. Why the hell was Squad Two here today? They were supposed to have gone yesterday.

"How dare you talk to Lady Shihoin without addressing her with her title!" I peered to the side of Captain Shihoin and spotted the small girl named Soi-Feng. She bared her teeth at me, fists clenched tightly in anger. Back at the Academy she had beaten the living hell out of me but I knew I could take her on now. She was no threat and it was laughable that she thought she was.

"Soi-Feng," Captain Shihoin sighed, glancing at the ceiling. It looked like she was getting just as exasperated as I was with the little twerp, "If I cared I would have said something. How many times do I have to tell you that I don't like the titles and whatnot?"

"Uh, yes, Lady Shihoin," Soi-Feng bowed her head, stammering when her captain narrowed her eyes at her, "I-I mean Yoruichi!"

Yoruichi smiled down at her apprentice and I felt my gag reflex activate. Turning around, I headed down the corridor to check on the progress of Squad Four. I didn't have the patience to stay here much longer, and I wasn't going to stick around and watch Yoruichi gush over her stupid, twit sidekick.

"Actually, Kumiko," I stopped and looked at the Squad Two Captain, "I was wondering how much longer your Squad was going to be. A good portion of my squad members had been on a mission yesterday and missed their check-up, so I brought them all today."

I wasn't sure why she was explaining the whole story to me but I nodded and shrugged, "I was just about to check myself. Don't worry, I'll be sure to be out of your hair in no time."

I carried on down the hallway, looking over my men as I passed them. They looked just as bored as I was. In some ways I could understand why they were getting up to so much mischief but I didn't think their boredom justified accosting the nurses. It just made my job harder.

Stopping outside the main health room that my men were lined up outside of, I slid the door open and entered. It was lined with beds and heartbeat machines, filled with Shinigami and nurses checking their vitals. I searched the room for the head nurse, Mao, and eventually spotted her.

"How much longer?" I asked her.

I must have surprised her because she jumped and squealed, "Kumiko-chan!" I didn't want to waste my breath asking again so I just stared at her expectantly, "Still another hour, Ma'am."

Another hour. I sighed, pinching my nose, "Cool, thanks." I was about to leave when I remembered about Squad Two. Maybe that would put a rush on things… "By the way, Captain Shihoin and her squad members are here."

"Oh, thank you very much!" She smiled gratefully at me, "Unfortunately that may mean we might take a little longer! Maybe an hour and a half; two hours?"

"Yeah, whatever," I sighed, resigning myself to this dull situation, "Just get it done."

Why couldn't the fifth-seat have taken care of the the Squad? _This was such a nuisance._ I thought as I gripped my zanpakuto's sheath and marched out of the room. I wasn't a mother, never wanted to be, so why did Maki and Kiganjo think that leaving them with me was a good idea?

"Just trying to test my patience is all-" I muttered but gasped as someone ran into my hard. I stumbled back and hit the wall with the momentum of the crash, smacking my head against the doorframe. I shut my eyes and grabbed my head, my nose stinging as a headache split through my skull.

"Oh! Are you alright?" The person reached for me but I slapped his hands away.

"Son of a bitch!" I growled, looking up at the idiot who ran into me and froze when I got a good look at his face. Grey eyes, sandy blond hair, and a goofy smile. Baring my teeth, I scowled, "Kisuke, you bastard!"

"Woah there, Kumiko!" He raised his hands up in surrender, "No need to look at me with that homicidal glare—it was just a little spill."

"Little spill?" I exclaimed, "I nearly cracked my skull open because of you, dumbass!"

"I think you're exaggerating a bit," He chuckled as I began to stand up. His hands were immediately on my sides, helping me to my feet. I stopped and looked at him. He smiled at me and said soothingly, "There we go. Back on your feet."

I swallowed and looked away at him. Goddamn, my cheeks were bright red again. "Kisuke, take your hands off of me unless you want to lose them."

"Oh. Uh...sure," His hands withdrew from my body and I could breathe again. Patting my uniform down, I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. He was staring at me with wide eyes when I stood up straight and looked at him.

"What?"

A blush crept to his cheeks and I followed his gaze to the collar of my shirt, where my Shihakusho had slipped open to reveal the rise of my breasts. I hastily tugged at it, more concerned with my men seeing too much of my skin. Glaring up at Kisuke was a bad mistake and I looked away, feeling my cheeks warm up again.

"Stop acting like you've never seen a woman's...uh," I trailed off and scoffed, not wanting to finish that sentence. I leaned to the side and saw that my men were gawking. What was so surprising to these idiots?

"I...just that...well," I looked back at Kisuke and crossed my arms. His eyes glanced back at my chest and quickly to a wall, clearing his throat.

"Well, spit it out!" I ordered.

"I, uh, just never knew how much you could hide in a Shihakusho, that's all," He mumbled quickly.

"I'm going to kill you," I grunted, grabbing my zanpakuto.

"Now, now, Kumiko!" He waved his hands in my face, "There is nothing to be ashamed of! Being well-endowed is actually something a -"

"Holy shit, shut up!" I screamed, stomping on his foot. What a pervert!

He looked down at my foot, unperturbed, "Was...that supposed to hurt?"

"Kisuke," I hissed, about to kick him in the balls when Mao came running out of the room.

"Urahara-san, I need you to come with me, sir," She panted, "I've been waiting for you."

"Oh, really? I'm sorry," He smiled, scratching his head.

The nurse blushed and giggled behind her hand, "Oh no! Please don't apologize, Urahara-san. You're here now and that's what counts."

I rolled my eyes and mockingly mouthed what she had said. _You're here now and that's what counts. Vomit._

"Well, that's my cue to leave you two lovebirds," I muttered, slapping Kisuke on the back hard, "But next time you pull half the shit you just did, Kisuke, and in front of my men too? I _will_ cut off your di-"

"Message received!" He cut me off, saluting me and backing the nurse into the room, "Bye, Kumi-kun!"

I growled and was about to turn back around when the nurse poked her head out, "Actually, Ma'am, I need you to come with me with Urahara-san."

"What?" I grimaced, "Why the fuck-"

"I'm the only available nurse to check Urahara-san and since I'm a woman and he's a man," She shrugged, "I need a witness to oversee the check-up."

"But my men are being checked by female nurses," I exclaimed, "I don't have to be in the room with them." Thank the heavens.

She shook her head, "Yes but that's because they are all in one main health room. With officers, we check them in private rooms."

Kisuke nodded, a taunting smile spreading across his face, "Yeah, didn't you know that, Kumi-kun? How long have you been an officer anyways?"

"Shut your trap," I snapped at him, looking at the nurse, "I'm going but you owe me big, Mao!"

She smiled and nodded at me, "Of course! Now, follow me!"

"Go ahead. I'll be with you in a second," I turned around to my men and summoned a ball of spirit energy to my hand, "Do you any of you dipshits know what this is? It's a Kido technique that allows me to keep an eye on you. Even if you destroy the ball, its remnants will dissipate into the surrounding Reishi and I will still be able to hear and see what you're doing. _So behave while I'm gone, understood_?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" They nodded as I released the ball of Kido to the ceiling to float above them.

Satisfied, I nodded and turned back to Mao and Kisuke. We continued down the hallway in silence. Finally, Kisuke glanced at me, perplexed, "I've never seen that Kido before?"

"That's because it doesn't exist," I said simply. The men in my squad knew diddly squat about Kido and so I could trick them into think that I could do anything with my Kido. In actual fact, I had just dropped a ball of spiritual pressure that had absolutely no purpose. It was just an energy ball hanging in the sky.

Kisuke smirked but said nothing. We stopped in front of a door that Mao unlocked and opened, ushering us both inside. I took a deep breath and composed myself in the darkness. I could do this. So what if he had to strip? It wasn't like I hadn't seen a naked man before. Hell, I had seen several and had been fine.

Mao turned on the lights and smiled at me, "Okay, Kumiko, you can sit on the chair over there if you'd like."

"I'd prefer to stand," I leaned against the window and crossed my arms. Glancing to the outside, I muttered, "Just get this over and done with quickly so I can return to my men."

The two chatted for a while Mao took his blood pressure and simple tests. I didn't pay much attention, instead staring out the window. From here, I could see the main Senkaimon portal. It was a behemoth, looming over the Squad One buildings in all of its majestic glory. Frustration bit at me the longer I stared out at it. There it was. My freedom. It was so close and if I had the guts to disobey my orders I would hop out of this window and reach it.

The World of the Living...that was where he was or at least part of him. My Haku…

 _I scanned the crowd of humans desperately. He was here, I knew he was. I could feel his presence near me. Haku._

 _Someone bumped into me and I turned around. Haku. His wide blue eyes were staring at me and I felt tears build up in mine. I smiled and sobbed in happiness. I had found him. My Haku._

 _"Haruto! Come on man, what're you staring at?" Haku turned around and smiled at a group of schoolboys waiting for him. His smile was so incredible. Just as I had remembered it._

 _"I'm coming now!" He turned away from me and began to walk away._

 _"No, wait!" I cried out, reaching out for him. Why couldn't he hear me? He had seen me, had he not? We looked at one another, our eyes had met! I ran forward and grabbed his hand, pulling him back._

 _"Woah! Dude did you just see that!" His friends all mumbled to another._

 _Haku glanced around, his eyes frantically searching for what had pulled him back. He couldn't see me standing beside him. He...couldn't see me. My fingers went limp, slipping away from his wrist. He shook his head and sprinted over to his friends._

 _"Did you see that!" He exclaimed and I perked up. See? Had he seen me this time?_

 _"That was crazy!"_

 _Haku nodded, laughing, "I didn't see anything but holy crap that was scary! It was like someone grabbed me!"_

 _"Looks like you got a ghost haunting you, Haruto!"_

 _"Shut up, I don't!"_

 _I watched him walk away with his friends, disappearing in the crowd of people. I stood there in the middle of the square for hours, feeling his spiritual pressure disappear from my sense's range. Why couldn't he see me? Did he not know it was me? Haku...no...no, he was Haruto now. Haku was dead, and his memories and love for me had died with his soul in the Soul Society._

 _My knees hit the ground hard as I fell to the ground, feeling my head spin. Haku...really was gone. What a fool I had been...to hang onto such a stupid hope that he might have remembered me. I knew what happened to souls that left the Soul Society. Takahashi had known too and had tried to remind me. But I had been a fool, compelled by love and hope and had forced my master to open an Senkaimon to the human world._

 _I screamed loudly, feeling my heart bleed and my entire being shake. Tears rushed down my cheeks and I hid my face in my hands, shaking violently with the grief of losing Haku. Again. How many times could I do this? I kept losing…_

The intense silence of the room broke into my thoughts and I blinked the memory away. My cheeks felt damp and I cursed myself, wiping the stray tears from my cheeks. Turning away from the Senkaimon, I looked over at Mao and Kisuke. Mao was holding a tape measurer to Kisuke's arms and Kisuke was watching me. I startled, realizing that he must have seen.

He said nothing, just looked away. I was surprised, expecting him to have called me out on it or toss me a smile.

"Alright!" Mao put her hands on her hips, "I need you to take off the top of your robes!"

He nodded and untied his obi, pulling his sleeves down and exposing his body. Mao and I both blushed, though Mao did a poor job hiding her prying eyes. She smiled up at Kisuke and complimented his body, making him blush too. He glanced at me and I made a point to look at the wall, my arms tightening around my body.

As hard I tried to look uninterested, I couldn't hide the pink blushing forming on my cheeks. The man had an incredible physique. Then again, it was to be expected from Squad Two Members. They all were toned and in brilliant shape, much like Squad Eleven. He looked agile, slimmer than most of the men I worked with, but he was still impressively muscular. I had a hard time taking my eyes off him.

"Damn thing," Mao's muttering caught my attention. She was tinkering away at a weird little machine with two wires that had spikey prongs at the end.

"What's the matter?" I sighed, pushing myself away from the wall to investigate. She pursed her lips in frustration and handed the machine over to me. It was strange and I looked up at her, "Okay, cool. So what's the matter?"

"That's a tool used for measuring spiritual pressure and reiatsu," Kisuke answered for me, "Those two prongs are pushed into a soul; one at the Soul Chain and one at the Soul Sleep. The prong at the Soul Sleep sends waves of the machine's own Kido to trigger a reaction and makes the Soul Chain channel it all through the second prong. From there, the machine gets a pretty clear reading about how much spiritual power you have."

Mao nodded, "It's just as accurate as when us Squad Four members do it since we're pretty well-versed at reading spiritual pressure. But it does make everything a lot simpler since two Shinigami have to perform the measurement by hand whereas only one person has to use the machine."

"All very cool," I sighed, "But I don't really give a shit about that. I was wondering what the problem was."

"It's broken."

"Well, yeah, I now see that," I grouched, glaring at Kisuke. He grinned at me which I pointedly ignored to look at Mao, "So what now? You want me to help you measure his spiritual power."

"Yes, actually!" Mao grinned at me, "That would really help, Kumiko! Thank you!"

"Whatever, I just want this to be over with," I grumbled.

"Aw, come on and admit that you've been enjoying seeing me shirtless," Kisuke teased and I growled at him. He smirked, "Ah, that's right! I forgot that you were very lesbian for my Captain!"

Mao blanched, "Wait wha-"

"Nothing!" I exclaimed, "I'm not -holy shit, I can't believe you just said that! That was what Kaien said, not me!" Kisuke gave me an innocent smile and I sighed, "I don't have the energy to deal with your bullshit. Mao, what do I do?"

"Right, okay! Kumiko, I need you to be the one who activates Kisuke's Soul Sleep. You're going to channel your spiritual pressure through his Soul Sleep and I'll do the rest!"

I nodded, "Okay...so how?" I yelped when Kisuke took my hands and pressed them against his chest. My skin heated up as my fingers pressed against his hard muscles and I couldn't look him in the eye. This was beyond embarrassing.

"Aw, don't look like that, Kumi-kun," Kisuke cooed, "You look too adorable with that little innocent face. Don't tell me that I'm the first man you've touch-"

"If you finish that sentence, I will cut out your tongue and feed it to you," I muttered, taking a deep breath. I needed to calm down if I wanted to summon my spiritual pressure properly. My heartbeat slowed down and I breathed out, feeling my body go cold. I opened my eyes and saw everything in shades of green, "Okay, I'm ready."

Mao nodded, pressing her hand against Kisuke's chest too and closing her eyes, "Okay, channel it all through until I tell you to stop. We have to keep pouring reiatsu in him until his maxes out."

I nodded and let my hands charge up. Pins and needles tickled my arms and I let my reiatsu channel through my arms and to Kisuke, connecting to his Soul Sleep. The response was instant, his reiatsu awakening and exploding back at me. I grunted, surprised by the ferocity of his backlash and poured more into his body. The more I poured into his body, the stronger his reiatsu became and pushed me back. I kept having to pour into his body but it became a relentless cycle between our reiatsu. A battle of two large pressures to snuff out the other.

Beads of sweat ran down my temple when the door opened. My men must have sensed my spiritual pressure spike and came to check on us, "Ma'am, is everything alright?"

"Fine!" I grunted, ducking my head in my sleeve to wipe the sweat from my eyes. I looked at them and said, "Go back to the others! I'll be there shortly." They nodded and rushed back.

My throat felt dry as I exerted myself. I swallowed and looked over at Mao, "How much more?"

She shook her head, "We still have a while to go. Urahara-san has barely reached his halfway peak."

I hissed, pouring more reiatsu into my palms. My breathing was beginning to labor but I refused to stop.

Kisuke noticed my panting and gave me a concerned look, "Are you okay?"

"I'm not stopping so don't even ask," I smirked, "You bastard, hiding all this reiatsu. Never knew how much you could hide so much in that Shihakusho, hey?"

He chuckled and I didn't miss the smoldering glance he shot my way. I held his gaze. His eyes were blue even when my vision had changed to the tones of green. I looked away and at my hands, pressed against his firm chest muscles. His skin was hot underneath my cold hands. I closed my eyes to concentrate on my output instead of his distracting, gorgeous body.

"We're halfway," She said, closing her eyes and furrowing her brow, "Okay, release the rest of your reiatsu."

I nodded and breathed in to summon the rest of my power. It all swarmed in my core in a white hot ball of fire. Opening my eyes, I released it and watched as green tendrils of reitsu wrapped around my forearms and slingshot into Kisuke's core. Mao yelped as his reiatsu spiked for a second and then pulled back. Everything was quiet again, minus the ringing in my ears.

"Very interesting," Mao murmured, writing her markings on a clipboard, "Urahara-san, I never realized that your reiatsu level was so high. Are you considering to apply for the open captain position coming up in Squad Twelve?"

I stammered at what Mao had said, but my tongue felt like led in my mouth. Damnit, I had pushed it too far. My eyes were heavy as my body tried to stay upright without any spiritual pressure. I was going to faint if I exerted myself anymore.

"You okay, Kumiko?"

I nodded, bracing my hands against my knees and gulping in air, "Amazing."

Mao went rushing to the door, "I'll go get something for you to eat."

I shook my head and stood up, "Nah, it's good…" Blinking the blurriness from my eyes, I fixed my uniform, "Just wasn't expecting to get drained so quickly."

She looked torn but I didn't want to be fussed over. It was annoying and unnecessary, especially since I was just out of breath. I would be fine in a couple of hours.

"Can you two stop looking at me," I snipped as Kisuke and Mao stared at me, "I'm fine so stop looking at me like I'm going to die."

"Well, it would be understandable if you did," Kisuke pointed out but winced when I stomped on his foot.

"You just don't get it," I muttered, "Don't expect you to. You don't know-" I stopped mid-sentence, my better sense put a halt on my next words. I wasn't usually so loose-lipped but I was about to reveal myself to this man. This snitch who was just as guilty as any other Squad Two member. My impatience from earlier had returned and was worse now that I was fatigued. I turned my gaze on Mao, "We done here?"

She nodded, "Yes, but -"

"Cool," I turned around and left the room, "Thanks for dealing with my idiots, but I'll be taking them now."

Down the hallway I spotted my men swarming around, stopping when they noticed me. I waved and they all rushed over, hands on their swords.

"Kumiko-sama, is everything alright?" One of them asked.

I nodded, "Nothing you should worry about. Let's head out." They all cheered enthusiastically and followed me as I slowly made my way down the hall. We headed down the halls and to the barracks of Squad Eleven, where I relieved them for the day.

Maki had wanted me to report to him immediately after I returned from Squad Four but I didn't think I was going to last that long. Instead, I dragged myself to my room and threw myself onto the bed.

"Crap," I sighed, rubbing my hands as I began I shiver. That had taken a toll on my body, more so than I was proud enough to admit. Who had known that Kisuke's reitsu had been so enormous?

Yawning, I lazily untied my obi and tugged my uniform off. I wasn't sure what was more impressive; the fact that he had that much reiatsu, or that he hidden it so well. If someone had reiatsu like that in Squad Eleven they would fight anyone at any chance they got. My captain was a prime example of that.

I reached for my robe and wrapped it over me. He was peculiar. He was humble, smart, not bad-looking, and had an incredible amount of reiatsu. And to top it all, he was an assassin –something that didn't impress me much morally but he must be a skilled soldier. I chuckled, wondering how big his fangirl club was.

 _Wonder where I can sign up?_

* * *

"Kumiko! Wake up!"

I twitched, feeling a snore catch halfway through my throat. It was dark in my room, well into the evening. I hadn't even realized I had nodded off.

Looking up, I saw Maki looming over me. By the expression on his face, I could see that he was not happy. Curling back up into my bed, I murmured, "Yo, Maki."

"Why didn't you report to me as soon as you had returned from Squad Four?" He demanded, "You decided that taking a nap was the better option?"

"I mean...yeah," I smirked, glancing at him, "But in my defense, I hadn't meant to fall asleep."

"I have to admit that this is a new one," He said in utter frustration. I wondered how long it would be until Maki would stop taking my shit like the others.

I sighed, sitting up and hugging my knees, "It went well. A few incidents but nothing terrible. I ended up draining nearly all of my reiatsu trying to help the head nurse."

"What? How?" He asked.

I shrugged, "I'll tell you if you take me to the mess hall. I'm famished."

"You have feet," He scoffed.

"Did you not just hear me tell you that I drained myself all of my energy?"

"Fine," He grouched, grabbing me and flash-stepping us to the mess hall. He sat me down and came back with trays of food, "Tuck in."

I nodded and wolfed down everything. Now that I had food in front of me, all I could do was eat and replenish the energy I had depleted earlier on that day. After eating several full meals, I leaned back and took a long sip of water.

"Okay, tell me," Maki said.

I smirked, "Ever the impatient one." I told him what happened, explained to him about the amount of reiatsu Kisuke Urahara possessed and that he may be vying for the Twelfth Division Captain position.

Maki leaned forward and contemplated the information I passed onto him. I knew that he and Kiganjo were looking at that spot for themselves, wanting to put one of the officers from Squad Eleven up for the promotion. Not many of the squads supported us, so if we had one of us in Squad Twelve then it would help us.

So far the only ones applicable were Maki and our third-seat. I had a decent amount of spiritual pressure that I would have been put forward as well, but I didn't have a Bankai. And I didn't plan on getting it.

"I should go and pass this on to Kiganjo," he murmured then looked at me like he realized something, "You and Kisuke. You guys close?"

I blushed, "No! Fuck, Maki, don't go reading into it. I met him back in the Academy, that's all."

He laughed, "Okay, calm down. I was just going to ask you to keep tabs on the situation is all."

I frowned, feeling uncomfortable about spying on Kisuke, "...Okay."

"Thanks Kumiko," he patted me on the shoulder and was gone in a flash.

After he had left, I propped myself against my hand thinking about the day's events. The check-ups had gone well, though I would have preferred if they hadn't happened at all. Still, I should thank Kisuke for helping me skip out on my own check-up.

Kisuke...who knew he had an incredible body like that. A smirk touched my lips as I thought back on it today. He must workout a lot if he was that cut...and not a hair on his chest either. Did he not have a lot of body hair? A nice body to match a nice face—

I cleared my throat and ran a hand over my face. _Why the hell am I fantasizing about Kisuke Urahara?_

I suppose it wasn't unreasonable. I would be having to think about him in the following weeks if Maki and Kiganjo wanted me to keep an eye on him. But perhaps having him linger in my thoughts during my free time was dangerous. He was my enemy. He stood between me and what was good for my squad.

I flexed my hand, feeling the residual of Kisuke's activated spiritual pressure on it. Even after replenishing my energy with sleep and food, I still wasn't a hundred percent. The man had some serious levels of reiatsu to sap all of mine in a matter of minutes.

"How powerful are you really?" I murmured, thinking back to how his reiatsu had absorbed mine easily. When two spiritual powers face off, the weaker one is always consumed by the larger one.

I wasn't one to advertise the amount of power that I possessed -it only drew me into unwanted confrontations. Mine was still in its early stages and I was no threat to any lieutenant or captain but I wasn't a small fry. Among the other officers ranked below lieutenant, I was one of strongest. To be so overwhelmed by another ranked officer meant that he had an incredible amount of reiatsu, and a fully developed one at that.

Who exactly was Kisuke Urahara? Even at a hundred he was too young to have such mature spiritual pressure. And yet he did. I was determined to find out who this man was.


	6. Building a Mystery

Chapter 5

The barracks in Squad Eleven had communal showers for all personnel. I heard from other squads that all officers ranked above five had their own private suites which a lot of the officers in Squad Eleven complained about. I had to admit that the privacy was overrated.

Perhaps it was that I grew up in an area of the Rukongai where modern irrigation was nonexistent. We would all bathe in the estuary. I would only go there every few weeks. The estuary was plagued with muggers and rapists and Takahashi had always made it a habit to avoid trouble when he deemed it unnecessary. At first I was disgusted at the thought of not bathing every night but that became all but a distant want as the years went by. It was only when I entered the Academy did I start showering again. Hell, when I first arrived, I had to ask one of the girls in the shower room to show me how it worked.

"Could I use your shampoo?"

I opened my eyes and moved my head from the spray of the warm water, spotting one of the office girls standing next to me. She had a towel wrapped tightly around her body, clearly uncomfortable about standing naked in front of her coworkers. What a nuisance.

Reaching for my bottle of shampoo, I squirted some into my palm and handed the bottle to her, "Just this once. I know the paychecks are tight when you first arrive here but you gotta make sure you have the basics."

"Is it that obvious?" She smiled then glanced at the bottle, "This shampoo is for men."

I nodded, massaging the shampoo into my scalp, "Maybe it'll wash out some that newbie scent."

She laughed and I grinned crookedly, stepping back into the water and washing the soap out of my hair. Shutting my eyes, I let the water cascade over my face again. Today was going to be busy so I had woken up early to indulge in the warm water before I hit the ground running. Our third-seat, Hisoka Miyazaki, returned a couple of days ago and ever since then, he and Maki had been practicing relentlessly for the Captain's assessments. Kiganjo wanted them to be focused on their training, leaving me in charge of their responsibilities until the assessments were over.

Honestly, I had thought it was ridiculous. The point of being a captain was to be able to balance training, power, and duties altogether. Granted I thought that Maki had nailed the art of multi-tasking but the third-seat would be a poor choice for the replacement of Squad Twelve. I didn't know much about him because he was always out in the field but I never got the right vibe from him. I often wondered if that was why his requests to go to the World of the Living were always approved. Perhaps no one else felt entirely comfortable with him leading Shinigami.

And Kisuke. I was to report on Kisuke Urahara to Maki, Kiganjo, and Hisoka at the end of every week. So far I had found out quite a bit about his achievements in Squad Two since it was the easiest information to access. One of the duties of the fourth-seat in the Seireitei is to collect personnel records and review applicants, approving the potentials and sending those potentials to the lieutenant and captain to give final approval. Because of transfers between squads, all the fourth-seats in the Seireitei shared information with one another so acquiring Kisuke's record from Squad Two was simple.

He had an impressive track record. Became third-seat upon entry of the squad and was placed in charge of the Detention Unit shortly after it was determined by Captain Shihoin and the Head-Captain that he could maintain the position. He had led a number of raids of runaway Shinigami and had graduated at the top of his class at the Shino Academy. According to his skills, he was considered a master in Kido and the art of hand-to-hand combat, Hakuda. He had achieved his Shikai and was currently practicing his Bankai -though I suspected that this record wasn't up to date and he had already achieved.

I didn't have access to delve more into his duties as Detention Unit leader, or any of his missions. But from what I could see, he was a viable potential to become the next captain.

Snapping my eyes open, I shook my head and turned off the shower stream. The cold hit my skin and sent goosebumps across my skin, breaking my train of thought. What was I thinking? Kisuke may have the skills required to be a captain but a lot more than skills went into the consideration of becoming a captain. Besides Squad Eleven's tradition was to defeat the captain in order to become the next captain, all other squads had to undergo intense interrogations and background checks in this process. And that was just to be considered a potential candidate. So many tests were put in place to become a captain of the Gotei Thirteen so that they only had the best of the best leading their men.

I dried myself off and wrapped my robe around me, toweling my hair as I left the showers. Kisuke was immature and too goofy to be a captain. His skills were what had gotten him his spot in Squad Two, but it would take a lot more to become a captain. Besides, he was going up against the likes of Maki who had more than proven his ability to lead.

"Just shamelessly walk around naked while you're at it."

I stopped in my tracks and gasped when I spotted Captain Shihoin leaning against the wall next to me. What the hell was she doing in Squad Eleven? Why hadn't I felt her presence?

Before I could ask, she pushed away from the wall and walked up to me, grinning, "Not that I can judge you for showing off that bod of yours. Kisuke had quite a story about how you were flaunting your breasts at him the other day."

I went bright red and snipped, "He was the one who ran into me and pulled my uniform open!"

"Sure, sure!" She laughed good-humoredly, "No need to hide it, Kumiko. He told me how you couldn't take your eyes off of him when he stripped-"

I gritted my teeth and lost my control for a second. She paused as a burst of my reiatsu whipped through her hair before I calmed myself again. That Kisuke was going to die, after I cut this bitch's tongue out.

"Oh?" She smirked, "Did I touch a nerve?"

I shoved past her, "I'm off-duty right now, Captain Shihoin, so if you're lost I can't help you."

"Actually, you're who I was looking for."

I stopped in my tracks and looked at her. What did she just say? What could she possibly want with me?

"I want to make you an offer," She rested a hand on her hip, "I understand from my fourth-seat that you're quite interested in Kisuke's track records."

I began to defend myself when she held out her hand, "I already know the reason why so don't even think about covering it up with a lie," She tilted her head and grinned at me, "Yes, Kisuke told me what happened the other day Squad Four, including how you took on his reiatsu without passing out. That's impressive, especially coming from a fourth-seat from a squad that isn't exactly known for its spiritual pressure -"

"Excuse me!" I snarled.

"Let me finish," She talked over me, "I want you to transfer to Squad Two. In exchange, I'll let your captain have all of the information he wants on my third, including access to our more sensitive information."

The silence that followed her statement was deafening, and I could only gape at her. Had she just asked me to...join the Second Division? She had. She wanted me to leave my squad, and the audacity had completely thrown me off-guard. More than that, she had just casually tossed in access to highly sensitive information like it was a bonus prize. Was she serious or was this her yanking my chain, making it known that she was aware of my little investigation?

"When my fourth-seat told me that you were sniffing around Kisuke, I decided to pull your own records. Frankly, it was originally to pull some dirt on you -I don't like people snooping around my boys. But when I began to read through these," She reached into her haori and waved a manilla folder around. My records. I frowned as she continued, "I was surprised. You're strong in Kido-type fighting, and we can always help you improve your combat skills -"

"No," I said flatly and she raised an eyebrow at me. I shook my head, "Sorry but if you're trying to threaten or blackmail me, it's not gonna work. I would rather die than join your lackies. I got no use being in a Squad full of cowards who sneak up on their opponents instead of facing them."

"Oh?" She said, the tone of her voice dangerously low. I shrugged and was about to continue when she laughed, "Okay, well I guess I knew that would've been your answer."

"So then why did you ask?" I asked, her nonchalance pissing me off.

She looked at me squarely, "Because I believe that your talents are being wasted here, Kumiko. You're a Kido user and should be with other Kido users instead of a sword-fighting squad. When was the last time you drew your zanpakuto?"

"I'm done with this conversation," I pushed past her again. I was going to be late for the morning meeting if I indulged this moron's need for attention.

"Think about it," She called after me but I ignored her, "Unless you want to be the Squad Eleven lackie for the rest of your life!"

The audacity of that woman astounded me! Who did she think she was, trespassing into another Squad to go and steal their other Shinigami. And that fourth-seat of hers! She just lost an ally in me, along with access to my Squad's records.

Guess you can't expect anything less from a Squad Two snitch.

Reaching my barracks, I quickly dressed and tidied my hair. I rushed towards Hisoka's office, arriving more or less when everyone else did. But throughout the entire meeting, I heard nothing Maki said. I could see his mouth moving but all I could hear was what Yoruichi had said.

 _When was the last time you drew your zanpakuto?_

An honest answer would be...a while. I hadn't used my zanpakuto in a very long time, at least a couple of months. It had been even longer since I had released it. Deep down I knew that she was right, that I was a Kido-user and belonged in a squad like Squad Two, who didn't use their zanpakuto. But the thought of being in that Squad made me feel dirty with betrayal. They were murderers.

They had killed Takahashi, the only man other than Haku who had cared about me, and not what he wanted me to be. They had killed him and it was only my promise to him that had stopped me from going after them to avenge his death. He never gave me a reason why, just told me that we all had a time and that vengeance didn't bring back the dead.

I sighed, wishing he had told me more things about the Seireitei and the Soul Society before he had died. He must have known that it would have been Squad Two that would be the death of him. I had so many questions for my master. Why had he betrayed the Shinigami? Why had he urged me to become a Shinigami? What had his life as a Shinigami been like? And why had he insisted that I had joined Squad Eleven out of all the squads?

There were so many questions in this life and I was afraid that I would never find the answers to them.

* * *

My bed had never felt so comfortable before. Today had been as much of a nightmare as I had expected it to be. Thankfully I had the assistance of some of the office girls to take a bit of the paperwork off my hands but I still was juggling the bulk of the three positions. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in and released it. My muscles loosened but I still felt anxious.

"This job is going to kill me," I murmured, folding my arms behind my head. I stared at my ceiling for a while, startling when I heard a knock on my door, "Come in."

The door opened and my captain walked in, "Hey."

"'Sup," I waved my hand, too tired to care about formalities. He wouldn't mind, because unlike Maki, Captain Kiganjo was easy-going.

"I don't think I've done a full day of captain duties in years," He chuckled, plopping next to me on the bed.

I smirked, "Did you just admit to sitting on your ass all the time, Captain?"

He gave me a hearty laugh, shaking the entire bed, "Yeah, I don't know what I would do without Maki." I cleared my throat and he grinned, "And you, Kumiko."

I sat up and propped myself against my knees, stretching my neck, "Yeah, that's what I thought. Now, what can I do for you?"

"I wanted to know what you thought about this whole captain thing," I looked up at him inquisitively and he continued, "I overheard a few of the captains at the meeting today and I think they are leaning strongly to Squad Two's candidate."

"Kisuke Urahara," I said and he nodded, "Yeah, well, even if they are you should still give them a run for their money, Captain. I'm tired of those asshats always getting their way."

"You don't seem to like them," He chuckled, "Not that I can blame you. A lot of Squad Eleven don't like the Second Division since many of us were chased down by them."

I was tempted to tell him about Captain Shihoin's little offer she made to me today. But if I did it would only cause trouble between the two squads and that was another headache I didn't want to tend to. Instead, I said, "I just don't see why everyone respects them so much. There's nothing honorable about being sneaky," I glanced at him, "I think the Seireitei would be fools to make Kisuke Urahara a captain. He's got the wrong temperament and I don't trust his squad."

"True," He seemed to chew on what I had said, "But once he's a captain, he won't belong to Squad Two."

"Bullshit," I scoffed, "He and Yoruichi are going to team up like you and Maki want to."

I had to dig deeper. There was something more to Yoruichi's visit today. It was only natural for squads to research other captain potentials so what I was doing had not been out of the ordinary. And yet, she had come personally to make a deal with me. She had offered me a place in her squad -which I begrudgingly admit was prestigious among the Seireitei -in order for me to stop me from delving further into Kisuke's records. She had offered me records but records that she would have oversight to.

I understood now. She hadn't really wanted me to join her squad. She just wanted to be able to control what pieces of Kisuke's past I saw which meant there was something that they didn't want me seeing. There had to be something in Kisuke's past that would tarnish his chances of becoming a captain.

"I'll get to the bottom of this," I murmured, "If I find something out, I'll expose it and then Maki will get a headstart in becoming the new captain."

Kiganjo nodded, patting me on the back, "Thank you."

He left and I rubbed my back where he had smacked it. He and Maki were depending on me to get this done, but how? I rested my palms against my chin and tried to think of a plan. The fourth-seat at Squad Two was clearly out of the option and without her I had no access to the Squad Two personnel records.

After Yoruichi's visit, I think it would be best if I avoided interacting with Squad Two at all. Perhaps...I follow Kisuke. No. That would be disastrous if he found out that I was spying on him. I caught my lip in my teeth and lay back on my bed, contemplating the option. I could do it. I had a couple days of leave coming up, so I could use those to do some snooping.

But how? Takahashi hadn't taught me how to conceal my spiritual pressure but he had taught me how reduce my spiritual traces. I couldn't follow Kisuke without him knowing...but I could sneak into his office without him finding out.

"I'm going to find out what you're so determined to hide, Yoruichi," I whispered, smirking. This was getting more interesting with each passing day.


	7. Riku Kumiko

Chapter 6

I pulled on my Shihakusho and tied my hair into a bun, "Maki, pass me that scarf."

He did and asked while I wrapped it in my hair, "I don't see the point of that."

I clipped my fringe out of my face and to my scalp, pulling the black silk over my hair and neck, "I can cover my spiritual footprint with a certain Kido spell but it only covers the identity of my reiatsu. Which means that I can't afford to leave any incriminating evidence," I tapped my head, "Like hair for instance."

He nodded and looked at my feet, "And the lack of shoes?"

"Too loud," I answered, "The spell doesn't make me invisible, so everyone can still hear and see me."

"I don't want to know how you learnt all of this," He muttered and I chuckled.

"Let's just say that my mentor taught me all the basics on how to be a master thief," I winked, checking myself one more time. I was leaving my zanpakuto behind in my room since it would only get in my way. Besides, I was sneaking into an office, not looking to fight. Everything was tight and secured, and I had hid my face behind the silk scarf I wore. I was barefoot, something I hadn't been used to since the Rukongai but it wasn't too unfamiliar. In fact, I felt more comfortable like this.

"Be careful," Maki stood up from my bed.

I nodded, pulling the scarf over my mouth, "Just remember what you have to do."

Officially I was on leave so no suspicion would be raised if I was missing from the barracks or offices. Still, the squad I was breaking into were all trained to intrude and evade. I wouldn't be surprised if they caught me, but I had to try. My lieutenant and captain were depending on me to do this. Besides, I was feeling a little stuck up after Yoruichi had called me out on snooping.

That bitch rubbed me up the wrong way, ever since I had met her at the Academy. This would teach her for being the arrogant noble she was.

Sliding the door open, I flash-stepped out of the barracks and followed the indirect route to Squad Two. This path was quieter and I was less likely to cross paths with any other Shinigami. Sticking to the shadows, I ran down the hallways. This way would take me a little longer to reach Squad Two but it wouldn't affect my plan overall. Besides, I only needed a couple of minutes in his office tonight.

A couple hours later, I was standing in the shadows in front of the Squad Two entrance. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing, slowing it down with my heartbeat. This had been one of the first techniques Takahashi had taught me years ago so I had perfected it. The point was to slow down my heartbeat and by that, minimize my spiritual pressure. Reiatsu was like a fire and the fewer the fuel there was, the smaller the fire was. All this technique was was reducing the flow of energy from the Soul Sleep to the Soul Chain and minimize the amount of spiritual pressure that left my body. It didn't completely plug it up like the Squad Two members knew how to do but it was enough that I wouldn't be detected easily.

Clasping my hands together, I began the second part of my preparation and murmured my Kido incantation. Takahashi had created a spell that enveloped the user with a thin bubble that protected them from detection. Only ranked officers would be able to sense through the spell, which I would have to be aware of while I was walking about the barracks. But it wouldn't be too hard to get past these guards.

All I had to do was not get spotted.

Sneaking up to the gate, I pressed my back against the wall and hid in the shadows again. I glanced down at my arm and rolled my sleeve up to check my watch. Maki's distraction should be coming any second now.

A loud pop sounded through the air and I glanced up to the sky. Maki and Hisoka's reiatsu erupted through the air. They had agreed to fight later on tonight, hoping to distract the nighttime guards around the Seireitei with releasing their reiatsu. I thought it had been pretty ridiculous but it seemed to have worked because the guards were momentarily looking away from the gate. I flash-stepped past them and dove into the shadows, barely missing the stealthy eye of one of the guards.

He glanced around before smacking his colleague on the head. The two of the exchanged a few words before returning to their post. I sighed, trying to calm my nerves down. They had nearly seen me. I had to be more careful.

Standing up, I glanced around and spotted the building where Kisuke's office was at. The squad grounds here were different during the nighttime but I recognized a few familiar landmarks. This was it. Taking a deep breath, I flash-stepped to the distant building and only stopping when I had reached his room.

Sweat dribbled down my temples and I had to take a moment to catch my breath. I needed to slow my heartbeat down again. Flash-step was not a strong suit of mine and I wasn't good at long distances like that. After a few minutes, I recovered my breath and slowed my heartbeat again.

This was it. I approached the door and gave it a soft tug. Surprisingly, it was unlocked. Cracking it open, I peered inside and stiffened. Kisuke was asleep at his desk. Should I go back? This may be too risky, snooping around while he was sleeping a few feet near me.

No, I thought. I had come this far and this wouldn't be the first time I snuck around someone sleeping. I wasn't turning around.

Opening the door slowly, I slipped inside and shut it behind me. Tiptoeing quietly toward him, I froze when he rustled in his sleep. What a moron, falling asleep at his desk. I had to remind myself that his back problems weren't my problem and shook the thought of dragging his stupid ass to bed. I had a task to fulfill.

Kneeling beside him, I gingerly reached for his draws. This would be the best place to start. There were files. I pulled them out and skimmed through them all. Nothing. Most of his files were studies and scribbled down notes but nothing particularly scandalous stood out to me. Maybe he had something in his bookshelves.

I scanned over the books but couldn't find anything that stood out. I spent another hour scouring his room but found nothing. Sitting down on his bed, I reached to run a frustrated hand through my hair before I remembered that it was covered up in my scarf. There was nothing!

Glancing at the clock beside his desk, I saw that it was that I should start heading back to my squad. It was nearly sunrise. But I hadn't found anything!

"Damn…" I breathed, standing up off his bed. Glancing at Kisuke, I paused and watched him curiously. He looked so calm when he was sleeping, much better without that stupid grin he always seemed to wear. He had a great deal of stubble on his face and dark bags under his eyes. When was the last time this idiot leave his room? His hair was greasy from days without being washed.

I frowned. What was so important that he wasn't letting himself sleep? My eyes shifted to what he was sleeping on. A folder. More specifically, a report form. I grinned, finding my pot of gold.

Stepping behind him, I peered over his shoulder and tried to see what was on the forms. His arms were hiding most of it but I could see certain words. _Location: District 15. Exiled and Abandoned posts. Ongoing; Pending Top Secret._

Was this an ongoing manhunt for runaway Shinigami? I began to scan through when I spotted a note on the top right of the page, "Kisuke, only traces of their reiatsu was discovered. Could this be what we think it is?"

I could only imagine that note being written by Yoruichi. Whatever "it" was, it must have been what Yoruichi was hiding from the rest of the Seireitei. I needed to read this report. Even if it didn't answer anything, it was a start.

Grabbing the corner of the report, I pulled on it gently as to not wake Kisuke up. He grumbled a bit I managed to pry the folder from his desk without waking him up. There was a photo attached to the bottom of the report. A forest in what must have been District Fifteen, like the report that stated. The trees were covered in white substance but there was nothing else.

I looked at the details of the report. There were two handwritings, one was the same from the note attached to the report and the other must have been Kisuke's. I looked at the date and froze, realizing that this had been a few weeks back. This report had been filed the day Yoruichi had said that her squad had been on a mission, the day before health checkups.

But looking at this report, it only listed a handful of Shinigami at the scene; Soi-Feng, Captain Yoruichi Shihoin, Third-seat Kisuke Urahara, and fourth-seat Makiko Uyeda. Why had she brought more than these Shinigami to Squad Four? Was this why Fourth-Seat Uyeda snitched on me? I continued to read the report.

 _Upon arrival of the suspected location of the targets, all but traces of their reiatsu remained. It is reported that a white residue had been clinging to the trees (See photo attached) but have since disappeared along with the criminals' spiritual pressures. Cause of death remains unknown._

 _Sample of white residue had been collected and taken back to Squad Two for further inspection. 03/15, 1747 - the collected white residue was reported to have dissipated like the rest of the white residue at the crime scene._

 _Follow-up: 03/15, 1905 - three squad members of the clean-up unit were sent to the sickbay. Pronounced dead within the hour. (See death report #1-3)_

 _Follow-up: 03/16, 0109 - Squad member responsible for collecting white residue pronounced dead. (See death report #4)_

 _This report has been labeled as Top Secret with the highest clearest. Only the following can view this report; Central Forty-Six, Captain Yoruichi Shihoin, Third-seat Kisuke Urahara, Head-Captain Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto._

I stared at the report, not quite believing what I had read. This was the secret and it sounded like the Seireitei was potentially in danger. Potentially? No, the Seireitei was in danger if this white residue had any connection to these Squad Two deaths.

This explained why Yoruichi had sent her squad members to Squad Four the following day. Perhaps she had been worried that they had been exposed?

I began to flip through the rest of the file, searching for more but only found the attached death reports. How could this be a secret? Surely the rest of the Seireitei should be alerted to this? And why was Yoruichi concerned about me finding out about this? Was Kisuke somehow involved in this more than the report had indicated?

A flash of movement caught me off-guard and I jumped back just as Kisuke reached for me. He was awake, and he had seen me.

"Who are you?" He asked, and I realized that he hadn't recognized me through my scarf, "How did you break in?"

I threw the report in his face, the papers scattering in front of him and fled from the office. Shit, this was bad. I flash-stepped away from the building, adrenaline pushing me forward beyond my usual abilities. If I didn't have to hide my identity, I could delay him with Kido.

He appeared next to me and my eyes widened. How was he so fast?

He launched himself at me and I grunted as his bodyweight slammed into me, sending me into the trees below us. I struggled to breath and tried to pull myself up from the ground but felt Kisuke grab my arms and twist them background. I cried out as he bent them backwards, immobilizing me.

"If you move, you'll break your arms," He said, his voice low and threatening, "Now, who are you? How did you get into the squad grounds without being detected?"

I couldn't speak. I knew that if I did then he would know exactly who it was he was restraining. Fuck. Think! If I got caught then Maki would be taken off of the potentials list immediately, and I would reprimanded severely. Especially after they found out that I had found out their nasty little secret. But there was no way out. My arms felt like fragile twigs in his vice-grip. I only had one option.

I shut my eyes tight and braced myself. Kisuke tightened his grip and said more forcibly, "I think I asked you a-"

Snap.

There was a momentary pause, as if time was frozen. His eyes widened as our gazes locked. Those same grey eyes...looked so surprised. His grip loosened and I twisted around, our faces inches away from one another. He was frozen for a moment and I took the opportunity to escape. I held my arm to my chest as I sprinted away, tears streaming down my face as my body registered the agony I tried to ignore.

A flash of red flames shot out from the trees below, catching the side of my body. I screamed and covered my face with my hands, jumping away from the Kido. The skin along my torso and arm burned and felt like a thousand knives against my skin.

I flash-stepped out of the Second Division without being spotted and only stopped when I was certain that I wasn't being followed. I wasn't sure why Kisuke hadn't chased me but it didn't matter. I slumped against a wall somewhere near the Eleventh Division and tried to catch my breath. My body was flashing hot and cold and my vision was blurry. I had never pushed myself that hard before.

"Too close for comfort," I clenched my teeth and checked my arm. It had been snapped cleanly in half. The throbbing pain of it made me want to vomit.

I let my Kido barrier down and snuck back into Squad Eleven. It was still quiet. No one had noticed that I was gone. That meant that I could destroy my leave permission forms. Now that Kisuke had spotted me, this was bound to be the first place they would check. After all, I was the one who had been snooping around Kisuke.

Careless. I scolded myself as I entered the joint offices. Maki and Kiganjo were sitting at their desks when I came in, their heads jerking up when I came bursting in.

"I need my leave papers," I heaved, ripping my scarf off my head. My bangs fell over the side of my face again, a black, ragged mess like the rest of my hair.

"What happened?" Maki jumped from his chairs and came over to me. He stared at limp arm, at my tattered clothes and looked back up me.

I said nothing as Kiganjo found my papers and passed them over to me. Gathering them in my hand with the black scarf, I lit them up with a Kido fire. There would be no trace of them that way. I looked up at my lieutenant and captain, hesitating to tell them what I knew. I wanted to tell them about the file, about the white residue...but it had been Top Secret for a reason. I needed to know the reason why before I spilt anything.

Instead, I shook my head, "Nothing."

"Your arm is broken," Maki said, "Your uniform…" He was polite. I smelt like burnt flesh.

I nodded, "Yeah, Kisuke snuck up on me. I don't think he recognized me though."

"Which is why we saw you training in the grounds this morning," Kiganjo glanced at Maki, who nodded.

I nodded and sprinted off to my bedroom, slamming the door open and grabbing a pair of my sandals and a new uniform. My heart was pounding a million miles per hour, and I felt faint with anxiety as I ran to the showers. Squad Two would be here any minute, I knew it.

Turning on the showers, I dumped my clothes on the stool next to my towel and jumped into the shower. Facing the door to check if anyone was coming in, I held my hand over my arm and began to concentrate on it. I had taken a Kaido healing course at the Academy, and could heal injuries like this one if I had enough time. The Kaido numbed the pain but it still stung and I bit my lip as my bone mended together.

The water felt like acid against my skin, stinging my eyes with involuntary tears. They ran down my cheeks as I healed myself, slowly and painfully.

My thoughts kept turning back to the report that I had read. What had that been? Why had so many souls died? And how was Kisuke connected?

* * *

"Kisuke, how could you let this happen!" Soi-Feng yelled, "You useless waste of flesh!"

"That's enough, Soi-Feng," Yoruichi cut her off, glancing at me. She was silent for a few moments before she asked, "Did you recognize her?"

I paused, recalling the moments that led up to the scramble in the woods. Her eyes. They were two shades of piercing blue, nothing like I had ever seen. She had been terrified that I had caught her looking through the report, shocked that I had caught her and frightened that I had caught her so easily. But none of that had compared to the shock I felt when she had willingly maimed to escape.

Who was she?

"She had used some kind of Kido to alter her reiatsu," I murmured, "She didn't have the ability to hide it but she had been able to obscure it enough to make it untraceable."

Yoruichi nodded then looked at Soi-Feng, "Go back and calm the men down. Kisuke and I will handle this."

She sighed in frustration but bowed her head, disappearing in an instance.

"Was it her?"

"Kumiko? I'm not sure...but we'll know soon enough."

"How?"

I grinned and shrugged casually, "Let's just say that I left a few marks on her."

* * *

My hand was warm as the Kaido mended my arm, numbing the pain but replacing it with an insistent stinging sensation. I hissed, biting down on my lip. I wasn't skilled enough in healing Kido to fully mend my bone back together but I could knit most of it. As for the Kido burns, they would heal in time. I didn't have the skill yet to heal Kido wounds since it required a more advanced technique to unbound the spell.

There was a knock on the office door and I called out, "Busy! Come back later."

"I'll leave these at the door then," A squad member said before padding down the hallway again.

I sighed, wondering what he had left by the door. As curious as I was, I needed to finish healing my arm. At my level, I couldn't stop and come back to the exact spot later.

"What's this?" Maki opened the door with the papers in his hands. He paused before looking up at me, "They're transfer papers…"

My attention snapped from my arm to him, "Pass them here." He tossed them onto the table and I peered over, growling when I confirmed where they were from, "Yoruichi."

"You don't seem surprised," He sat back in his chair.

I shook my head, "She came by a few days ago offered me a position in Squad Two." When I received no reply, I looked up at Maki and shrugged, "Personally, I think it's her just making it known that she was onto what I was up to."

"So they know it was you last night."

Again, I shrugged, "Who knows. They probably suspect it was me but can't prove anything because I didn't leave any evidence."

"Your hair was out of your face last night," He commented, glancing at me, "You think Kisuke saw your eye?"

I nodded, "Yeah, he probably noticed. But I cover the one up with these monstrosities," I referred to my side-swept bangs, "So I think I'm in the clear for now. I'm more concerned with him noticing my broken arm."

"How's that feeling?" He asked.

I lowered my hand and flexed my injured arm, "It's still not fully healed, but this will do. I can function with this arm."

He nodded and we sat in silence. I picked up the transfer papers and paged through them. I was half-tempted to fill them out with false information and send them back, but decided that it wasn't the wisest choice. Maki and Kiganjo had decided that it was best that I lay low for a while, and had scheduled for me to take leave again while the air cleared.

It would be a good opportunity to train, and to go visit Haku's grave. I hadn't visited him in years…

"I'm done for the day," I stood up from my seat, "Gonna change out of uniform and head out."

Maki nodded, putting his brush down and grinning, "Bring me back something from the Rukon."

I chuckled, "The only thing I can bring back from where I come from is rubble. Maybe a rusty knife."

"Do I look like the kind of person who'd turn down a knife?"

"Seeya around, Maki," I waved, closing the door behind me.

* * *

"Thank you," I smiled at the girl who handed me the file. She shut the door behind her but I didn't pay much attention to her, more curious with the folder in my hands.

 _Kumiko Riku._

 _Date of birth: Unspecified._

 _Residency: Squad Eleven barracks, Seireitei -first place of residence. District Seventy-Nine, Kusajishi North Rukon District (Location unspecified)._

 _Abilities: Shikai; Kido expert; Kaido practitioner; Shunpo practitioner._

 _Criminal History: Arrested for trespassing upon Kuchiki land. Later released, no charges pressed._

I paused at this. The Kuchiki Family were a proud noble clan and didn't take kindly to those who broke the rule of law. There had been plenty of trespassers on their land before who received the maximum number of whippings allowed for the crime. Why had they let Kumiko go? Leaning back in my chair, I continued to read.

 _Notes: Kumiko Riku has suspected connections to former Second Division Captain Takahashi Riku. Relations unknown._

Takahashi Riku. I remember Yoruichi mentioning something about this to me eight years ago when we had first come across Kumiko. She suspected that Kumiko was perhaps an apprentice of his, or even his daughter. But I wasn't sure about either. Takahashi was known for his impatience -it was ultimately what led him to abandoning his post -and I had hard time imagining him taking on an apprentice. Comparing a picture of Kumiko and Takahashi, the two looked nothing alike so I highly doubted that they were related by blood. But studyinga her photo...it struck a chord of familiarity with me. She looked like someone, but I couldn't guess who.

"Who are you?" I murmured, feathering through the rest of the file. There was barely any information about her. I had seen plenty of background files on other Rukongai residents and even they had more information than she did. She was a ghost, as if she hadn't existed for the longest time.

That was it. I looked through the file again, smiling as I found the open ends to her story. No date of birth, her vast spiritual pressure, the trespassing on Kuchiki land; it all led to one thing. Kumiko hadn't been Takahashi's apprentice or relative, just a traveling companion. They had crossed paths and this was the file that held all of the information that had covered Kumiko's life since then.

But there was more. Kumiko Riku didn't have any information prior to meeting Takahashi Riku because she hadn't existed. And I bet that the answers that I needed were on the Kuchiki estate.


	8. Irish Dancing and the Kusajishi Girl

Chapter 7

"Holy shit, it's been forever," I grinned and patted Kaien on the back.

He clapped my shoulder back and then smiled at the woman at his side, "Kumiko, this is Mayako."

"The famous wife," I smirked, exchanging bows with her, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Miyako."

Kaien gave me a funny look but I ignored it as his wife smiled, "And you too, Lady Kumiko."

"Oh no, I'm not a noble," I shook my head and continued to ignore Kaien's inquisitive stare, "Just…know the etiquette. Kaien can vouch for my filthy commoner mouth." They both laughed at this.

"She's right," He smiled at his wife so fondly that I found myself unable to look at the two. It seemed like an intrusion to openly gawk at their intimacy.

"Shall we sit down?" I asked, "See who's better at drinking?"

The bar we had come to was well known for its spontaneous dances which was why everyone came here. Part of the bar was undercover but a good part of it was outside under a tangle of lanterns for dancing and gathering. After our third round of drinks, I noticed a band appear from the crowd. They all began to play and the music was contagiously energetic. Two fiddlers competed with one another and it only added to the hype.

Soon people began to dance to the music I had never heard before and I felt my feet twitch the need to join them. Finishing my drink, I felt as though my body was lighter than usual.

"Ready to perform ballet?" Kaien chuckled.

I got up from the counter and grinned, "Nah, that's still not for a couple more rounds. Right now I just feel like making a fool of myself."

Miyako grabbed Kaien's hand and dragged him to the dancing area. He followed us with reluctance but was soon dancing with his wife happily. They were swaying slowly to the fast-paced music which I found endearing. The people around us started clapping to the beat of the music and I joined them, watching some of them dance. They were moving their feet like they were tap dancing, twirling and clapping like little pixies.

"I can show you," I looked over at another Shinigami. He spoke with an accent I didn't recognize. He smiled, his green eyes bright and his freckle-specked cheeks brightening the room, "I saw you mimicking them. You're nearly there. You just gotta count the beat."

He showed me and soon we were both spinning and tapping our feet against the ground. Our wrists touched and then our ankles. We spun and then clapped before repeating. I laughed as the dancers joined us and people started to clap us on. The Shinigami spun me around and we joined the dancers as they tapped away. I faltered at first but caught onto the pattern and became lost with the clapping, the cheering, the music.

For those moments everything else disappeared. It was just me.

When the song finished the bar buzzed loudly and we all started heading back to the counter. The song slowed down and Kaien and Miyako stayed behind to dance more. I thanked the man and headed back to the bar to get a drink.

"One more," I shook my empty beer bottle and nodded to the bartender when he handed me a new one, "Thanks."

"Oh, she has good taste! I'll have one too." I nearly spat out the beer when I glanced at Kisuke. He paid the bartender and clinked the necks of our bottles, "Kumiko."

"Rat," I greeted him, taking a long swig from my beer.

"Slow down there, Kumi-kun," He chuckled as I finished and got another, "The night is still young."

"I'm gonna need as many as I get if you're here," I mumbled and took a sip. Glancing over at him I tried to ignore the way he happily observed everyone around us. He looked so at peace, despite everything that was happening in his life. Despite everything he knew.

"You dance well," He said, watching the couples dancing, "Where'd you learn?"

I smirked, "Your friend with the strange accent."

"Coilin? Yeah he's Irish and a sucker for pretty girls," He laughed and I blushed, "I was actually referring to before he came up to you. You were doing pretty fine on your own."

"Call me twinkle toes," I thrusted my beer up in the air, to which some people cheered back at me.

Kisuke grinned, "You're popular." I ignored his compliments and continued to guzzle down my beer. My arm hurt less the more I drank and my intention was to make it fucking numb. "Why do you wear your bangs like that?"

If I had been drinking I would have choked. Did he know it was me that broke into his office? I took a sip from my beer and tried to level my breathing.

"It's a fashion statement," I deflected and took his beer from his hand. He was too busy interrogating me to be drinking, "What's your excuse?"

He started laughing and I begrudgingly admitted to myself that he had a wonderful laugh, a contagious grin. Maybe drinking around Kisuke wasn't a good idea after all. He became more tolerable.

"You are a handful," He commented, signaling to the bartender for more drinks, "Tell me Kumiko, what were you doing the night of—"

"Kisuke?" Kaien stood in front of us with Miyako, enraptured. He looked at me, "Kumiko, why didn't you let me know that Kisuke was here?"

"Too busy celebrating," I mumbled my words and opening my beer bottle on the edge of my switchblade, "Didn't you know? It's Question Kumiko Day. But sorry, Kaien, you've already asked your question. And Kisuke asked enough to last for the next ten Kumiko Days to come."

"How many of those has she had?" Kaien asked. At least one of the three Kaien's did.

Kisuke looked over at me and slowly said, "You know, I have no clue. She drinks them like they're water."

"The Kusajishi liver," I chuckled, standing up. I lifted one foot off the ground and balanced with only a slight wobble, "See. I'm fine."

" _Are_ you from Kusajishi?" Kisuke asked and I groaned loudly.

"Fuck, why don't you just pop the big one and ask me to marry you?" I stopped on my tirade when the fiddlers were back at it again. I grinned and began towards the crowd again, beer in hand.

The tune was different, still upbeat but slower than the first song. I stepped lightly and swayed, just as I used as I kid. This song was familiar and even though I didn't know the song, I knew its kind. It was a love song. Sweet love. Young love.

It reminded me of Haku and how we would dance all night at his grandfather's parties. We would sway and spin. He moved so gracefully, like a bird. I was light on my toes as I spun, imagining what it would be like to dance with him now.

I loved to dance with ghosts.

"You're a beautiful dancer," Kisuke's voice broke me from my dreams. I looked at him and blushed, "You've got a grace to you that I haven't seen in a girl from your upbringing before."

"Well if that's not charming," I remarked and stiffened as he pulled me closer. _Relax. He's just dancing with you._

"It's not supposed to be," He said, his hand shifting over my ribs. I winced as he pressed my silky kimono into my sensitive burns, "I'm saying that I think you're lying."

"Oh really," I was happy that he was only a couple of inches taller than me. It made getting in his face a lot easier, "And please, enlighten me on what I'm lying about."

"Your past."

"Don't got one," I replied, "Most people from where I'm from don't got one. Hell, I'm lucky enough to have a name."

"You're hiding something," His words had me cold and I prayed that it didn't show on my face, "I'm going to find out."

"Good luck with that," I grabbed him by the chin and hissed, "You'll die trying."

It was a threat. I would slit his fucking throat before he revealed to anyone what I was. His narrowed gaze was the color of worn denim, dark and tough. I was about to shove him when his hands tightened on my waist and that serious look turned into a dazzling smile.

"So serious," He chuckled, "Relax, let's dance." He ignored the agony that I couldn't hide as he pressed against my burns.

"Will you shut the hell up if I do?" I asked, securing my hold around his neck. I didn't really want to leave just yet. He nodded and I sighed, "Fine."

It was weird to dance with Kisuke and it was even weirder that I was enjoying it. I could feel every shift of muscle under his uniform as we swayed. There wasn't a spot on his shoulders or back where I couldn't rest my hands and not marvel at his build.

Our heads bowed as the songs grew slower and slower, the guitarist taking the lead while the fiddlers took a break. I closed my eyes and imagined that I was in Haku's arms and not Kisuke's. It felt complete and I leaned into him more. I could stay like this for eternity and not have a care in the world. I was so drunk that I could almost hear him whispering my name like he would when we were close enough.

 _Kumiko._

 _I glanced up and he smiled down at me, running his fingers through my hair. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Pulling away from me, he spun me around until I was giggling and begging him to put me down again. We held each other closely and I traced every inch of his face, memorized the touch of his skin against mine. These were the memories I would remember and tell our children, the moments that would fleet through my mind in my final seconds on this Plane._

 _Haku cleared his throat before he collapsed. I caught him and fell to the ground under his weight, my kimono stained with the blood he coughed up. I was quick to wipe his mouth and hold him against me as he went through his episode. His parents and Byakuya watched him closely while others carried on dancing. Haku's fits had become a way of life in the Kuchiki Manor and no longer phased anyone._

 _He reached up and touched my cheek, whispering, "I'm okay now."_

 _"You shouldn't have spun me," I said to him angrily, "You can't push your—"_

 _"What kind of man would I be if I can't dance with my beautiful bride," He cupped my face and smiled, "Do not take the small joys away from me, Kumiko." I nodded and we hugged, holding each other tightly while everyone else danced and carried on with their lives._

 _"I love you…" I whispered._

 _"I love you too…Kumiko."_

"Kumiko," came the whisper and I opened my eyes. It felt like I was waking up from a dream, lazily and soundly.

"Yes?" I asked, looking up at those stormy greys. They weren't Haku's, they weren't violet blue. He didn't say anything and I didn't say anything. We only watched the other.

He was so close that I could feel his breath on my face.

His hand moved to my face and I paused, unsure what he was doing. Was he going to try kiss me?

His fingers passed over my forehead and I realized that he was going to sweep my fringe back. I caught his hand by his wrist and glared, brought back to reality.

"I thought we had agreed to no more questions," I hissed, pushing him back.

"I clearly recall you saying that I needed to shut up," He said firmly and I wished I hadn't left my knife on the bar counter. His persistence was making me violent.

My thoughts were cut off by the rush of pain that came as Kisuke's hand grabbed my healing arm. I bit my tongue to keep from whimpering but my grip on his other wrist tightened.

"What's wrong?" He asked, even though he knew. He knew who it was that broke into his office. He knew but was waiting for me to give him the incriminating evidence.

The fact that he didn't have anything to tie me down to the crime I had committed gave me a sense of assurance. I grinned at him and cockily said, "Injured my arm in practice."

"You're lying," His grip felt like a python and the circulation in my fingers stopped. I could feel the strain on the damaged bone and hissed in pain, "Tell me."

"Fuck you," I bashed my head against his. He let go of me and I jumped away before he could catch me again. Spitting in his face, I growled, "Grab me like that again and you'll regret it, Kisuke."

I didn't wait for his response. I couldn't afford to get cornered by him again. He knew and I needed to leave before he found something to pin down on me. My drunken haze had faded away as adrenaline rushed through me. I could feel his eyes tracking my body as I moved to the bar and hurriedly left.

Reasoning with myself was useless. Kisuke was a member of Squad Two and he was definitely smarter than he let on. He was going to find something to nail me to the wall. I paced my room trying to come up with a way to save myself.

"Fucking Kiganjo," I hissed, wishing that I hadn't been so desperate to dig dirt up on Kisuke. It seemed that I had bitten off a lot more than I could chew. Running my hand through my hair, I stared at my reflection and cursed what I saw.

I always knew that these eyes would give me grief. I got closer to the mirror and stared at the two different shades of blue. Could he really have noticed that my eyes were different?

I punched the reflection that stared back at me, shattering the image of a girl I no longer was. I fell to the floor and realized that this was only the beginning. Kisuke wouldn't stop digging until he had just as much on me as I had on him. All those years ago at the Academy I had sworn that I would become his worst nightmare. But it was the other way around. He was my worst nightmare, the catalyst to reveal everything that I had hidden from the world.

There was so much to dig up.


End file.
